A Study on the Student's Classificatory Ability (II) - on the classification of three states of matter -

Abstract

The author has intended to survey the elementary and junior high school student's ability to classify the three states of matter. To solve this problem, he has surveyed the extension and intension of the concept of the three states of matter, respectively, and contrasted this results with the contents of Japanese and foreign curriculum contents. The following findindings were obtained. 1) As a survey of the extension, the students were asked to classify the 21 sorts of matteer into three states consequently, some of them failed to classify the snow, steam, vapour, mercury into each states in the common grade levels. Particularly, the percentages of the students who could correctly identify all three states of water were 2% in elementary and 20% in junior high school students. 2) In elementary school students, some of them failed to identify the powder (e. g. powder of chalk, pepper) as a solid. 3) The identification of the above the 6 sorts of matter require the accurate definition of three states of matter, therefore, the results of the incorrect identifications above mentioned reveal that the students have not formulated the definition of three states of matter. 4) As a survey of the intension, the students were asked to define the three states of matter from the macroscopic viewpoints, consequently, the following three definitions have been revealed. Conceptual definition : The three states of matter are defined by their shape and volume. Phenomenalismic definition : The three states of matter are defined by their external appearance. e. g. solids are massive, liquids get wet, gases are invisible etc. Individual definition : The three states of matter are defined by the specific matters or properties of theirs. e. g. solids are like the ice, liquids are like the water, gases are like the air etc. 5) Although the explanation of the propreties of all three states of matter need to use the conceptual definition, the percentages of it were 0% in elementary and 4% in junior high school. 6) The low percentages of the correct identificatios of the above 6 sorts of matter may result from the low percentages of students conceptual definition of three states of matter. 7) Comparing with the foreign textbooks, Japanese course of study and textbooks do not define the three states of matter, therefore, the (1)-(6) problems may result from Japanese curriculum contents.