Examining 5th grade students’ mental models of shadow, solar eclipse and lunar eclipse through drawings: A case study

Abstract

This study aimed to elucidate the perceptions and mental models of 5th-grade secondary school pupils about shadows, solar eclipses and lunar eclipses through drawings. A total of 443 pupils studying at public schools in Afyonkarahisar participated in the study. It
was conducted as a case study, one of the qualitative research designs. As a data collection tool, three open-ended questions developed by the researchers were used. The pupils drew pictures after reading these questions. The obtained data were analysed by
content analysis. It was determined that the pupils had incomplete information about the subject and their perceptions of shadow, solar and lunar eclipses were mostly wrong. It was moreover observed that the pupils had difficulty drawing and writing something
they had learned. This situation is considered extremely important in terms of activities that can be designed to overcome students' deficiencies.