The basic criteria for the classification of matter: conceptions and levels of competence in students and prospective teachers in Primary

Abstract

This article will describe, analyze and compare the criteria that a sample of 55 students from the three primary cycles and 55 prospective teachers used to classify the material and how they use the basic criteria of classification (alive / not live) from data supplied by an image classification task developed for this purpose. The results indicate that all use a variety of criteria, emphasizing the food and spontaneous approach and partnership in primary live-motion, while the character alive / not alive and vital functions are major criteria among future teachers, but without applying a concept of life scientifically acceptable and consistent with the content of formal education. Finally, we propose different levels of competency in the classification of the subject and identifies implications for teaching and teacher education.