Elementary school students' ideas about water transport in plants

Abstract

Research into students' ideas showed that students' interpretations of natural phenomena often differ from those of scientists. The aim of this study was to identify elementary level students' ideas about water transport in plants. A questionnaire with three open-ended items and multiple choice question was administered to 591 students from 7 primary schools. Students' ideas were examined in five categories using content analysis technique. The students' responses with sound understanding for the "need for water", for the "water uptake", and for the "water loss" in plants took place in the interval of 2 to 10 percent, 16 to 30 percent, and 2 to 4 percent, respectively. Half of the students' responses showed that the teacher was the main source of information about plants.