Learning the scientific “story”: A case study in the teaching and learning of elementary thermodynamics

This article argues that learning, in many areas of science, involves the learner in coming to see phenomena from the perspective of a mental model, or "story," of the science domain involved. Using elementary thermodynamics as an example, the structure of an introductory teaching unit is described and justified. A key element of this approach is the introduction, using a concrete analogy, of a model of thermal processes which incorporates the central concepts of heat, temperature, and thermal equilibrium. Evidence of students' understandings of key ideas as they work through this unit, in postinstruction interviews and in a delayed posttest, are presented as evidence of the outcomes of this approach. The approach enabled a significant proportion of the student group involved to demonstrate understanding of the key ideas, and facilitated monitoring by the teacher of progress in students' understanding during and after the teaching.