Conceptions of Curved Spacetime: Relating Students’ Mental Representations and Understanding of General Relativity

IF 2.2 3区教育学 Q1 EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

Research in Science Education Pub Date : 2025-04-30 DOI:10.1007/s11165-025-10254-0

Maira Giovana de Souza, Agostinho Serrano, David Treagust, Mihye Won

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Abstract

This study explores the influence of external resources on students’ construction of mental representations of curved spacetime and their understanding of General Relativity (GR). Using the Cognitive Mediation Networks Theory (CMNT) as the theoretical framework, a short extracurricular course with Year-12 students was developed. Through the course, we investigated how interactions with various external resources support the development of mental representations that facilitate reasoning about relativistic phenomena. Using a case study with qualitative analysis, data from pre/post-tests, interviews, gesture analysis, and student artifacts revealed distinct patterns between students with satisfactory and limited understanding of curved spacetime; students expressed their understanding using multiple representations that reflected their mental representations. Students with accurate conceptions exhibited similar imagistic mental representations associated with the rubber-sheet analogy within psychophysical and hypercultural tools, applying them to explain various situations. Conversely, students with limited curved spacetime conceptions attributed spatial phenomena to forces and associated time dilation with being in ‘outer space’. The findings underscore the importance of carefully selecting external resources, considering students’ prior knowledge, and addressing misconceptions in GR instruction.

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弯曲时空概念：学生的心理表征与广义相对论的理解

本研究探讨了外部资源对学生弯曲时空心理表征构建及广义相对论理解的影响。以认知中介网络理论（CMNT）为理论框架，开发了一门面向12年级学生的短期课外课程。通过这门课程，我们研究了与各种外部资源的相互作用如何支持心理表征的发展，从而促进对相对论现象的推理。采用定性分析的案例研究，从前/后测试、访谈、手势分析和学生工件的数据中揭示了对弯曲时空理解满意和有限的学生之间的不同模式；学生使用反映他们心理表征的多重表征来表达他们的理解。具有准确概念的学生在心理物理和超文化工具中表现出与橡皮板类比相关的相似的意象心理表征，并应用它们来解释各种情况。相反，具有有限弯曲时空概念的学生将空间现象归因于力，并将时间膨胀与身处“外层空间”联系起来。研究结果强调了在GR教学中仔细选择外部资源、考虑学生的先验知识和纠正误解的重要性。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Research in Science Education EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH-

CiteScore

6.40

自引率

8.70%

发文量

期刊介绍： 2020 Five-Year Impact Factor: 4.021 2020 Impact Factor: 5.439 Ranking: 107/1319 (Education) – Scopus 2020 CiteScore 34.7 – Scopus Research in Science Education (RISE ) is highly regarded and widely recognised as a leading international journal for the promotion of scholarly science education research that is of interest to a wide readership. RISE publishes scholarly work that promotes science education research in all contexts and at all levels of education. This intention is aligned with the goals of Australasian Science Education Research Association (ASERA), the association connected with the journal. You should consider submitting your manscript to RISE if your research: Examines contexts such as early childhood, primary, secondary, tertiary, workplace, and informal learning as they relate to science education; and Advances our knowledge in science education research rather than reproducing what we already know. RISE will consider scholarly works that explore areas such as STEM, health, environment, cognitive science, neuroscience, psychology and higher education where science education is forefronted. The scholarly works of interest published within RISE reflect and speak to a diversity of opinions, approaches and contexts. Additionally, the journal’s editorial team welcomes a diversity of form in relation to science education-focused submissions. With this in mind, RISE seeks to publish empirical research papers. Empircal contributions are: Theoretically or conceptually grounded; Relevant to science education theory and practice; Highlight limitations of the study; and Identify possible future research opportunities. From time to time, we commission independent reviewers to undertake book reviews of recent monographs, edited collections and/or textbooks. Before you submit your manuscript to RISE, please consider the following checklist. Your paper is: No longer than 6000 words, including references. Sufficiently proof read to ensure strong grammar, syntax, coherence and good readability; Explicitly stating the significant and/or innovative contribution to the body of knowledge in your field in science education; Internationalised in the sense that your work has relevance beyond your context to a broader audience; and Making a contribution to the ongoing conversation by engaging substantively with prior research published in RISE. While we encourage authors to submit papers to a maximum length of 6000 words, in rare cases where the authors make a persuasive case that a work makes a highly significant original contribution to knowledge in science education, the editors may choose to publish longer works.