Vol. 12 No. 3 (2014)
Articles

Conceptual Knowledge Structure, Working Memory and Science Texts Comprehension: A Study with High School Students

Published January 1, 2016

Keywords:

Quality, Effectiveness, Change, Improvement, Equity, Innovation.
How to Cite
López Chavarrías, M. J., Sanjosé López, V., & Solaz-Portolés, J. J. (2016). Conceptual Knowledge Structure, Working Memory and Science Texts Comprehension: A Study with High School Students. REICE. Ibero-American Journal on Quality, Effectiveness and Change in Education, 12(3). https://doi.org/10.15366/reice2014.12.3.004

Abstract

In this paper we present a descriptive research that shows the relationships between conceptual knowledge structure, working memory, academic level and science text comprehension. High school students (10th and 12th grade students) have participated in this research. Students’ working memory capacity was measured by means of the Daneman and Carpenter’s test. Next, the students read a science text, and starting from the textual information, they constructed a concept map. Finally, they carried out a reading comprehension test. Results indicate that: a) the academic level produces significant differences in working memory, concept map, and reading comprehension tests scores; b) high and significant correlations have been found between the scores of these last three tests; c) concept map and memory working tests scores are significant predictors of reading comprehension test scores. 

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Ausubel, D., Novak, J. y Hanesian, H. (1983). Psicología educativa. Un punto de vista cognoscitivo. México, DF: Trillas.

Baddeley, A.D. (1995). Working memory. En M.S. Gazzaniga (Ed.), The Cognitive Neurosciences (pp. 755-764). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Bazán-Ramírez, A., Barrera-Vázquez, D.E. y Vega-Alcatara, N.I. (2013). Validación de constructos de competencias de lectura y producción de textos en los inicios de la generalización de la Reforma en la primaria Mexicana. REICE. Revista Iberoamericana sobre Calidad, Eficacia y Cambio en Educación, 11(4), 61-76.

Brooks, D.W. y Shell, D.F. (2006). Working memory, motivation, and teacher-initiated learning. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 15, 17-30.

Campanario, J.M. y Otero, J. (2000). La comprensión de los libros de texto. En F.J. Perales y R. Porlan (Eds.) Didáctica de las Ciencias Experimentales (pp. 323-338). Alcoy: Editorial Marfil.

Cañas, J.J., Antolí, A. y Quesada, J.F. (2001). The role of working memory on measuring mental models of physical systems. Psicológica, 22, 25-42.

Caplan, D. y Waters, G.S. (1999). Verbal working memory and sentence comprehension. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 22, 77-126.

Chandran, S., Treagust, D.F. y Tobin, K. (1987). The role of cognitive factors in chemistry achievement. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 24, 145-160.

Chang, K.E., Sung, Y.T. y Chen, I.D. (2002). The effect of concept mapping to enhance text comprehension and summarization. The Journal of Experimental Education, 71(1), 5-23.

De Vega, M. (1984). Introducción a la Psicología Cognitiva. Madrid: Alianza Editorial.

Daneman, M. y Carpenter, P. (1980). Individual differences in working memory and reading. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 19, 450-466.

Daneman, M. y Merikle, P.M. (1996). Working memory and comprehension: A meta-analysis. Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, 3, 422-433.

Edwards, J. y Fraser, K. (1983). Concepts maps as reflectors of conceptual understanding. Research in Science Education, 13, 19-26.

Elosúa, M.R., Gutiérrez, F., García-Madruga, J.A., Luque, J.L. y Gárate, M. (1996). Adaptación española del “Reading span test” de Daneman y Carpenter. Psicothema, 8, 383-395.

Ericsson, K.A. y Kintsch, W. (1995). Long-term working memory. Psychological Review, 102, 211-245.

Escoriza, J. (2009). Categorización y análisis de las dificultades en la comprensión del discurso escrito. Aula Abierta, 37(2), 55-78.

Escudero, I. (2010). Las inferencias en la comprensión lectora: una ventana hacia los procesos cognitivos en segundas lenguas. Revista Nebrija de Lingüística Aplicada, 7(4), 1-32.

García-Madruga, J.A., Gárate, M., Elosúa, M.R., Luque, J.L. y Gutiérrez, F. (1997). Comprensión lectora y memoria operativa: un estudio evolutivo. Cognitiva, 9(1), 99-132.

Graesser, A., Millis, K. y Zwaan, R. (1997). Discourse comprehension. Annual Review of Psychology, 48, 163-189.

Halford, G.S. (1993). Children's understanding: The developement of mentals models. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Hay, D.B. (2007). Using concept maps to measure deep, surface and non-learning outcomes. Studies in Higher Education, 32, 39-57.

Horton, P.B., McConney, A.A., Gallo, M., Woods, A.L., Senn, G.J. y Hamelin, D. (1993). An investigation of the effectiveness of concept mapping as an instructional tool. Science Education, 77, 95-111.

Johnson-Laird, P.N. (1983). Mental models: Towards a Cognitive Science of Language, Inference, and Consciousness. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Johnson-Laird, P.N. (2000). The current state of the mental model theory. En J.A. García-Madruga, N. Carriedo y M.J. González-Labra (Eds.), Mental Models in Reasoning (pp. 16-40). Madrid: UNED.

Jonassen, D.H., Reeves, T., Hong, N., Harvey, D. y Peters, K. (1997). Concept mapping as a cognitive learning and assessment tools. Journal of Interactive Learning Research, 8, 289-308.

Just, M.A. y Carpenter, P.A. (1992). A capacity theory of comprehension: individual differences in working memory. Psychological Review, 99, 122-149.

Kinchin, I.M. (2000). Using concept maps to reveal understanding: a two-tier analysis. School Science Review, 81(296), 41–46.

Kinchin, I.M. (2001) Can a novice be viewed as an expert upside-down? School Science Review, 83(303), 91–95.

Kinchin, I.M. y Hay, D.B. (2000). How a qualitative approach to concept map analysis can be used to aid leaning by illustrating patterns of conceptual development. Educational Research, 42, 43-57.

Kintsch, W. (1998). Comprehension: A paradigm for cognition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Lawless, C., Smee, P. y O'Shea, T. (1998). Using concept sorting and concept mapping in business and public administration, and in education: an overview. Educational Research, 40, 219-235.

Lee, K.W.L., Goh, N.K., Chia, L.S. y Chin, C. (1996). Cognitive variables in problem solving in chemistry: A revisited study. Science Education, 80, 691-710.

Light, L.L. y Anderson, P.A. (1985). Working memory, capacity, age, and memory for discourse. Journal of Gerontology, 40, 737-747.

Liu, X. y Kinchey, M. (1996). The internal consistency of a concep mapping scoring scheme and its effect on prediction validity. International Journal of Science Education, 18, 921-937.

McClure, J.R., Sonak, B. y Suen, H.K. (1999). Concept map assessment of classroom learning: Reliability, validity and logistical practicality. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 36, 475-492.

Milius, S. (2010). Sea slug steals genes for green, makes chlorophyll like a plant. Science News, 177, 10.

Miller, G.A. (1956). The magical number seven, plus or minus two: Some limits on our capacity for processing information. Psychological Review, 63, 81-97.

Montanero, M. (2003). Cómo evaluar la comprensión lectora. Alternativas y limitaciones. Revista de Educación, 335, 415-427.

Moreira, M.A. y Buchweitz, B. (2000). Novas estratégias de ensino e aprendizagem. Os mapas conceptuais e o Vê epistemológico. Lisboa: Plátano Edições Técnicas.

Novak, J.D. (1988). Constructivismo humano: un consenso emergente. Enseñanza de las Ciencias, 6, 213-223.

Novak, J.D. (1998). Learning, creating and using knowledge: concept maps as facilitative tools in schools and corporations. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Novak, J.D. y Gowin, D.B. (1999). Aprendiendo a aprender. Barcelona: Ediciones Martínez Roca.

Radvansky, G.A. y Copeland, D.E. (2004). Reasoning, integration, inference alteration and text comprehension. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology, 58, 133-141.

Ruiz-Primo, M.A. y Shavelson, R.J. (1996). Problems and issues in the use of concepts maps in science assessment. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 33, 569-600.

Sánchez-Miguel, E. (1993). Los textos expositivos. Madrid: Santillana.

Solaz-Portolés, J.J. y Sanjosé, V. (2006). ¿Podemos predecir el rendimiento de nuestros alumnos en la resolución de problemas? Revista de Educación, 339, 693-710.

Solaz-Portolés, J.J. y Sanjosé, V. (2007). Representations in problem solving in science: directions for practice. Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, 8(2), art 4.

Solaz-Portolés, J.J. y Sanjosé, V. (2009). Working memory is science problem solving: a review of research. Revista Mexicana de Psicología, 26, 79-90.

Van Dijk, T. y Kintsch, W. (1983). Strategies of discourse comprehension. Nueva York: Academic Press.