Introducing network analysis into science education: Methodological research examining secondary school students’ understanding of ‘decomposition’

In the present study we used the technique of word association tests to assess students’
cognitive structures during the learning period. In particular, we tried to investigate what
students living near a protected area in Greece (Dadia forest) knew about the phenomenon
of decomposition. Decomposition was chosen as a stimulus word because it represents a
complex issue and was therefore suitable given the primary methodological objectives of
this article. Specifically, we tried to develop a complete theoretical scheme for grasping
aspects of complexity concerning the learning of biological concepts. Perhaps most
importantly, we made an effort to introduce network analysis within the field of science
education and evaluate its usefulness in assessing students’ knowledge structures. Network
analysis was used to manage the data from the word association test and proved to be quite
efficient. It became clear that such analysis may help researchers to relate cognitive
structures with underlying patterns, including misconceptions. In our case study, such
misconceptions stem from students’ knowledge gaps, mainly concerning holistic aspects of
understanding decomposition.