The research into Concept Cartoons™ has covered a number of separate themes. These are:

Evaluating the Concept Cartoon strategy
Exploring their impact on teaching and learning approaches in science
Exploring the value of Concept Cartoons for formative assessment
Evaluating their use on transport systems
Identifying their role in promoting argument and discussion

Evaluating the Concept Cartoon^TM strategy

The main features of the research include:

• How teachers use them, who they are used with, what are their potential benefits and drawbacks and how they are managed in the classroom
• Several hundred teachers, University tutors and student teachers have been involved in the ongoing evaluation since 1991
• Research shows that they are a valuable stimulus for investigation, good for informal assessment, motivating and easy to use in the classroom
• It has resulted in the creation of the ConCISE Project as a means of sharing Concept Cartoons with teachers

See Keogh, B and Naylor S (1999), Concept Cartoons, teaching and learning in science: an evaluation. International Journal of Science Education, 21,4,431-446

Exploring their impact on teaching and learning approaches in science

The main features of the research include:

• How this emerged as an important issue in evaluating the Concept Cartoon strategy
• How the Concept Cartoons might help introduce constructivist teaching and learning approaches in the classroom
• Research shows that linking finding out with developing ideas helps to make a constructivist approach more manageable
• Has resulted in changes in the approach to teaching and learning in many schools and Universities

See Naylor, S. and Keogh, B. (1999), Constructivism in the Classroom: Theory into Practice. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 10(2) 93-106

Exploring the value of Concept Cartoons™ for formative assessment

The main features of the research include:

• Research in classrooms and with student teachers
• The focus has been on the use of Concept Cartoons as part of an auditing strategy for subject knowledge in science
• Max de Boo (University of Hertfordshire) and Rosemary Feasey (University of Durham) were also involved in this research
• Research shows that Concept Cartoons generate positive responses to the auditing process and begin the process of developing ideas further
• One outcome is the inclusion of Concept Cartoons as a formative assessment strategy in the pilot materials for the Key Stage 3 Strategy for Science

See Naylor, S., Keogh, B., de Boo, M. and Feasey, R. (2001) Formative assessment using Concept Cartoons: Initial Teacher Training in the UK. In R. Duit (Ed.) Research in Science Education: Past, Present and Future, pp.137-142. Dordrecht: Kluwer

Click here to download this research paper in MS Word format.

Evaluating their use on transport systems

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The main features of the research include:

• A focus on the Science on the Underground project on the London Underground system
• Independent evaluation by Education Extra when the project was launched in 1998
• Research shows that the strategy can generate interest in science and may lead to follow up action
• Resulted in similar projects taking place in Stockholm (Sweden) and Nizhny Novgorod (Russia)

See Naylor, S. and Keogh, B. (1999), Science on the Underground: an initial evaluation. Public Understanding of Science, 8, 1-18

Identifying their role in promoting argument and discussion

The main features of the research include:

• Argument and discussion as the main focus of current research
• Research questions include "What kind of impact do the Concept Cartoons have on learners' willingness to engage in argument and debate? How does the use of Concept Cartoons help us to rethink current models for analysing argument?"
• Bea Downing is researching this area. She can be contacted at b.downing@mmu.ac.uk

Click here to download the ESERA paper in MS Word format.
Click here to download the RiSE paper in MS Word format.