Making possible by making visible : How different visual representations of price may enable students to see “the trees”, “the forest”, or both

• The aim was to contribute to the understanding of how two different visual representations of price (a supply/demand graph and a causal loop diagram) facilitate learning of price. Prior research has investigated if graphs facilitate learning (Cohn et al., 2001), qualitatively different ways of understanding price (Pang & Marton, 2003) and common problems when learning about price (Strober & Cook, 1992). How learning of pricing is affected by the use of different visual representations has not yet been addressed. Lessons were conducted with four upper secondary classes, of which two had lessons based on the traditional supply/demand graph and two on a causal loop diagram (Wheat, 2007). The material, written pre- and post-test and recorded small group discussions, was analysed phenomenographically. Results show different understandings of price, critical aspects of this understanding, and what learning, in relation to those critical aspects, seems to be made possible through the different representations.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap -- Didaktik (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences -- Didactics (hsv//eng)

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Subject Learning and Teaching

ämnesdidaktik

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