Abstract:

This study aims to determine the mental models of gifted middle school students about an earthquake. The study employed the phenomenological design. In this context, the study was conducted on 41 students having gained the status of gifted students are results of the exams conducted by Science and Art Centres (BİLSEM) in three different provinces of Turkey. In these centres, gifted students, are diagnosed and can recognize their areas of special talent and get education to develop these areas in addition to the formal education they receive in their schools. In the current study, the “Earthquake Mental Model Test” was developed by the researchers in order to determine the mental models of the gifted students about the concept of an earthquake. According to finding mental models of the 41 gifted students are gathered under the mental models of natural disaster-energy-destruction (f=1), natural disaster-earth’s crust movement-destruction (f=6), natural disaster-destruction (f=2), energy-protection (f=1), quake (f=4), quake-destruction (f=16), earth’s crust movement (f=2), earth’s crust movement-protection (f=1) and earth’s crust movement-destruction (f=8). According to the findings obtained, the mental models of the students regarding the earthquake are gathered under the themes of Natural disaster-energy-destruction model. Natural disaster-energy-destruction model: Natural disaster-earth’s crust movement-destruction model, Natural disaster-destruction model, Energy-protection model, Quake model, Quake-destruction model, Earth’s crust movement model, Earth’s crust movement-protection model and Earth’s crust movement-destruction model.

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