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“Graph-as-Picture” Misconceptions in Young Students

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Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNAI,volume 6170))

Abstract

This paper presents work on the relatively under-researched topic of children’s graphical knowledge. It extends Janvier’s [1] research on the graph-as-picture misconception (GAPm, e.g. interpreting a line graph as the picture of a mountain) by identifying the prevalence of GAPm in a younger population and by examining gender differences. We used an established method for identifying GAPm and non-GAPm individuals and we also investigated the behaviour of these two groups of students on a diagram/picture decision task designed to provide insights into how students mentally represent their graphical knowledge. One in four of the students studied showed evidence of possessing a GAPm, with a higher prevalence in boys than in girls.

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References

  1. Janvier, C.: Use of Situations in Mathematics Education. Educational Studies in Mathematics 12(1), 113–122 (1981)

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  2. Humphreys, G.W., Riddoch, M.J.: Picture naming. In: Humphreys, G.W., Riddoch, M.J. (eds.) Visual Object Processing: A Cognitive Neuropsychological Approach, pp. 107–143. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hillsdale (1987)

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  3. Curcio, F.R., Smith-Burke, M.T.: Processing information in graphical form. American Educational Research Association, (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED215874), New York (1982)

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  4. Smith, J.P., di Sessa, A.A., Roschelle, J.: Misconceptions Reconceived: A Constructivist Analysis of Knowledge in Transition. Journal of the Learning Sciences 3(2), 115–163 (1993/1994)

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© 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Garcia Garcia, G., Cox, R. (2010). “Graph-as-Picture” Misconceptions in Young Students. In: Goel, A.K., Jamnik, M., Narayanan, N.H. (eds) Diagrammatic Representation and Inference. Diagrams 2010. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 6170. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-14600-8_38

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-14600-8_38

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-14599-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-14600-8

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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