The Role Knowledge Frameworks Play in the Ability of Preservice Elementary Teachers to Explain the Operation of a St. Louis Motor

Preservice elementary teachers ( n = 30) described the operation of a St. Louis motor before and after studying a laboratory unit on magnetism and electricity. Knowledge frameworks were identified using the flow map method, and the data were further analyzed for quality of the content. The results show that knowledge framework interconnectedness of the post‐unit interview was positively correlated ( r = 0.36, p < 0.10) with higher quality descriptions of the St. Louis motor. This article describes an in‐depth analysis of the lowest and highest performing students and compares their performance to the mean of the larger sample. The research provides insights into the roles that knowledge frameworks play in students' ability to explain abstract scientific phenomena.