Consideration of Didactics through Use of an Epistemological Vee Map

Abstract

Gowin’s Epistemological Vee map showed a connection between scientific conception and methodology. The learner is made to do the meta-cognition of the learning by describing a method of science that corresponds to a process of development in scientific conception. By using Gowin’s Epistemological Vee map, we developed a viewpoint on authentic assessment that matches the learning context of the student; a component of this authentic assessment matches the Epistemological Vee map. In this study, a science class was designed and presented to students so that teachers could create an Epistemological Vee map. Teachers constructed this map, which had arrows indicating classroom learning flow and in which descriptions representing student ideas and opinions were integrated. Analyzing a classroom using the Epistemological Vee map provided teachers with a progression of student understanding and reasons why students were able to understand the content being taught. As a result, when we obtain critical informatien that shows how students understand natural phenomenon, a structure can be established through viewing the whole picture of the classroom in which teaching and evaluation can be done by considering how students learn.