title: Understanding early elementary children's conceptual knowledge of plant structure and function through drawings.
abstract: This study examined children's drawings to explain children's conceptual understanding of plant structure and function. The study explored whether the children's drawings accurately reflect their conceptual understanding about plants in a manner that can be interpreted by others. Drawing, survey, interview, and observational data were collected from 182 students in grades K and 1 in rural southeastern United States. Results demonstrated the children held a wide range of conceptions concerning plant structure and function. These young children held very simple ideas about plants with respect to both their structure and function. Consistent with the drawings, the interviews presented similar findings.
authors.affiliation: *School of Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 anderjl@email.unc.edu.
authors.forename: Janice L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: College of Charleston, Charleston, SC 29455.
authors.forename: Jane P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Ellis
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599.
authors.forename: Alan M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D032882:Comprehension; D003210:Concept Formation; D003625:Data Collection; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D018521:Plant Physiological Phenomena; D010944:Plants / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*