Supporting the development of a scientific model of the Apparent Motion of the Sun and stars
14:00 - 14:15
Co-authors: Hans Bekaert, Wim Van Dooren, Hans Van Winckel, An Steegen
Young children, students and adults struggle to describe and explain the motion of the Sun and stars as we observe them in the sky. Yet it is essential to have a good understanding of these apparent motions as a starting point for the study of related phenomena like seasons or tides and on more advanced topics within astronomy itself. In this presentation, we describe how we measured 17-18 years old students' ideas of the apparent motion of the Sun and stars using the Apparent Motion of Sun and Stars (AMoSS) test. The test allows to compare students’ understanding of the specific aspects of these apparent motions in relation to the time of the day, time of the year, and the observer’s latitude. The analysis of the given answers and written explanations indicates that, despite the lessons at school or a planetarium visit, students scored low on the test, but answered the Sun questions significantly better than the star questions. We were able to identify several mental models that students use when explaining the phenomenon of apparent motion. Based on these findings, we designed teaching learning activities and a related planetarium presentation to support student learning. We will discuss the underlying design ideas of this intervention and the obtained results."
