Towards a philosophy-inspired learning environment about biological classification: Insights from the 1st cycle of a design research

Abstract

This paper reports on the case study of the 1^st cycle of a design research, which aims at designing a biological learning environment (LE) based on philosophical theories of concept formation. The aim of the LE is to support primary school students in constructing biological concepts such as ‘fish’, ‘amphibian’, ‘reptile’, ‘bird’, and ‘mammal’, and enhancing their categorization skills. The design principles of the 1^st version of the LE, as well as the results of its implementation with 19 fifth graders and particularly their pre/post-ideas about the classes of vertebrate animals are thoroughly discussed in the paper.