Understanding students' explanations of biological phenomena: Conceptual frameworks or p-prims?

This study explores two differing perspectives of the nature of students' b iological knowledge structures, conceptual frameworks, and p-prims. Student s from four grade levels and from three regions of the United States were a sked to explain a variety of biological phenomena. Students' responses to t he interview probes were analyzed to describe I) patterns in the nature of students' explanations across grade levels and interview probes, and 2) the consistency of students' explanations across individual interview probes a nd across the range of probes. The results were interpreted from both persp ectives of knowledge structures. While definitive assertions supporting eit her perspective could not be made, each hypothesis was explored. Although t he more prevalent description of student conceptions within a broader conce ptual framework could not be discounted, the p-prim of need as a rationale for change was also found to offer a useful description of knowledge framew orks for this content area. The difficulties endemic to the use of biology for the study of basic knowledge structures are also discussed. (C) 2001 Jo hn Wiley & Sons, Inc.