• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.107-116
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• 1999

The effects of clarified mapping strategy and placement of analog on middle school students' conceptual understanding were investigated. According to the usage of clarified mapping strategy and the sequence in presenting analogy, four types of learning materials were developed and pilot tested. Prior to the treatment, the field dependence-independence test was administered and a previous achievement test scores were obtained. The scores were used as blocking variables. The learning materials were read by randomly assigned middle school students (N=111), and the conceptions test was administered immediately and four weeks later. In the recall problems of immediate and retention test, there were no significant differences. In the application problems of immediate and retention test, however, the students learned with clarified mapping strategy scored significantly higher than those with analog-only. Field-independent students learned with clarified mapping strategy scored significantly higher in the immediate application than those with analog-only, and higher-level students learned with clarified mapping strategy scored significantly higher in the retention application than those with analog-only. In the immediate application, higher-level students learned analog first with clarified mapping strategy scored significantly higher in the immediate application than those learned target concept first with clarified mapping strategy. However, lower-level students learned target concept first with clarified mapping strategy scored significantly higher than those learned analog first with clarified mapping strategy.