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Modelling conceptual change as foraging for explanations on an epistemic landscape
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Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Systemic States of Spreading Activation in Describing Associative Knowledge Networks : From Key Items to Relative Entropy Based Comparisons
Get PDFAssociative knowledge networks are central in many areas of learning and teaching. One key problem in evaluating and exploring such networks is to find out its key items (nodes), substructures (connected set of nodes), and how the roles of sub-structures can be compared. In this study, we suggest an approach for analyzing associative networks, so that analysis is based on spreading activation and systemic states that correpond to the state of spreading. The method is based on the construction of diffusion-propagators as generalized systemic states of the network, for an exploration of the connectivity of a network and, subsequently, on generalized Jensen-Shannon-Tsallis relative entropy (based on Tsallis-entropy) in order to compare the states. It is shown that the constructed systemic states provide a robust way to compare roles of sub-networks in spreading activation. The viability of the method is demonstrated by applying it to recently published network representations of students' associative knowledge regarding the history of science.Peer reviewe
Introducing a data manipulation application for estimating a nation’s resources to manage cross cultural distances
Get PDFThe general purpose of my current research project is to quantify a factor of four elements that seem to affect cultural distances either narrowing or widening gaps between nations in international settings. The A.I.K.A. Factor consists of the following elements: Attitude, Interest, Knowledge and Adaptation Ability. A more specific aim of this paper is to report on my study in a Nordic setting. A bidirectional survey (total n = 265) was carried out. The resources two Scandinavian nations – Swedes and Finns - and the Russians have for managing their dyadic cultural distances were measured. The surveyed data was processed with The Koponen Manipulator, a two-dimensional data processing tool that converts each determinant to an interdependent one. Treating the factor with the manipulator results in a method that I tend to call The Dynamic Method
Quantum physical insights of agential realism within new materialism in science education : A basis for new conceptualizations or merely inspiring metaphors?
No full textBarad’s agential realism has recently been evoked as a theoretical viewpoint for science education and science education research in approaches that emphasize the role of materiality and matter as a key aspect of learning science. Barad’s agential realism is underpinned by their specific ways of reading quantum physics, its interpretations and, in general, contemplations of the quantum nature of existence. Agential realism is an ontological as well as an epistemological (onto-epistemological) metaphysical position that strives to dissolve the boundaries between subjects and objects, and leaves little room for traditional subject-centered epistemological views (like constructivism) of learning. A closer look is warranted at how the quantum physics underpinnings of agential realism, which are clearly very important for it, appear in its current applications in new materialism within science education research. This critical commentary claims that, in such a context, the conceptualization of learning and educational phenomena derives little if any advantage or practical utility from the quantum physics-inspired metaphysics of agential realism; only metaphorical talk remains. Consequently, we need to be aware of the limited power and plausibility of the quantum-inspired contemplations contained in agential realism if it is adopted as a theoretical viewpoint for science education and science education research.Peer reviewe
Introducing a data manipulation application for estimating a nation's resources to manage cross cultural distances : [absztrakt]
Get PDFChanging semantic meanings of wave-particle duality of single-photons : From historical to contemporary quantitative notions
No full textScientific terms and concepts sometimes evolve so that their semantic meanings are changing, to better serve the purposes of their use in scientific practices. Acknowledging the importance of such a process provides a viewpoint on the role of wave-particle duality (WPD) in modern quantum optics and how it is connected to its historical role. The transformation of WPD into a quantitative and operationalised concept is approached here from the viewpoint of the role of WPD as a linguistic practice based on natural language in communicating about experiments and their results and designs. The perspective adopted is based on semantic change and variation of WPD as driven by its role as natural language expression in pursuing the epistemic and the pragmatic goals of the inquiry. This provides a perspective that connects the historical and contemporary roles of WPD through its pragmatic linguistic role. This perspective shifts the focus from philosophical realism-driven questions about WPD as related to the nature or behaviour of photons to questions of how that concept is used in practices of quantum optics research, for what purposes, and with what benefits.Peer reviewe
Complexity and Simplicity of University Students’ Associative Knowledge of History of Science: Knowledge Organisation Poised on the Edge Chaos?
No full textIn a recent study, we examined pre-service teachers’ associative knowledge networks abouthistory of science, how pre-service science teachers relate events, ideas, characters, and deedsin history of science and in cultural and general history. We found a strong dominance ofpersons in the organization of that knowledge (Matthew effect). Here, we continue theanalysis started in that previous study. By using a network approach, we focus here on theeffects of thematic scaffoldings (thematization and periodization) on the structure of thestudents’ (N=25) associative knowledge of history of science, culture, society, and politics inera between 1550 and 1850. We explore the types of connections students make and howimportant the different types of connections are for the overall structure of the associativenetwork. In addition, we find out how frequently certain connections are recalled in the groupof 25 students. The results show that person-to-science connections are dominant, butscience-to-history connections are also important, thus alleviating the bias towards theperson-centered conceptions of history of science found in the previous study.Keywords: history, science, network approach, thematic scaffoldings, recal
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