View article

This study compared the cognitive conflict on peer instruction concerning the level of difficulty in question, between middle school science gifted students and non-gifted students. For the study, 35 the 7th grade science-gifted students in the organization affiliated with Science Education Institute for the Gifted in Seoul and Gyeong-gi province, and 14 the 8th grade science-gifted students, and 71 the 8th grade students. They performed peer instruction on propagation of straight light and composition of light and then, discussed three concept problems. After discussing the students took paper pencil test about changing levels of cognitive conflict. Regardless of the level of difficulty in question, the science-gifted students showed meaningful decreased figures on cognitive re-evaluation factors after peer-discussion. They trusted their peers, so during discussion, they explained their concepts. Furthermore discussion process enabled them to do reflective thinking. consequently, discord of students dropped, and total figures of cognitive conflict also declined. Science-gifted students have a tendency to worry lower than general students, though they felt anxiety as difficulty of the problems after peer-discussion. Through peer-discussion, science-gifted students presented statically decreased anxiety factors. By means of analyzed results of changing cognitive conflict of science-gifted students, developing and adapting strategies of cognitive conflict considering learner characteristics of science-gifted students is needed.