2007 Volume 48 Issue 2 Pages 13-21
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between students' metacognition and conceptual acquisition of the principles of the simple pendulum during observation and experimentation in the "workings of the simple pendulum" lesson in science class. An experimental lesson was conducted with a class of fifth-grade elementary school students. As a result, the following points became clear: 1 . As a result of the investigation regarding the characteristics of the simple pendulum, it was easier for students to acquire scientific concepts in observation and experimentation when they understood two of the three characteristics of the simple pendulum rather than when they only understood one. 2. The introspection reports of students generated by a stimulated-recall procedure were investigated. It was found that most of the students who had acquired concepts thought about these elements when the results of the experiment differed from their thoughts previous to the experiment. 3. The introspection reports of the students of the concept acquisition group and the non-concept acquisition group were compared and examined. As a result of the case study of the students who acquired concepts, it was found that metacognition occurred regarding the elements which the results of the experiment showed differed from their thoughts previous to the experiment, and that their thoughts previous to the experiment were accordingly modified.
