Learning processes of three college students (prospective elementary school teachers) in the content area of electric circuits were investigated in a tutorial study. Empirical evidence for learning pathways and knowledge construction is coming from an interpretive analysis of transcripts of six tutorial sessions, in which the students use hands-on experiments and a special computer software. Their learning pathways are described by subsequent cognitive states (conceptions) and intermediate processes, starting with a prior conception "everyday current" (well known from previous research) and coming to three new intermediate conceptions "positive and negative current", "microscopic view of current", and "current with electron pressure". The analysis also results in hypotheses of some cognitive tools which are used by students in their construction processes, and in some hypotheses about effects of specific elements of teaching on knowledge construction. Paper presented at 1996 NARST Annual Meeting in St.Louis, Missouri
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