The purposes of this study were to investigate the misconception proportion and the reasons
on \'insects\' in the elementary school students. The study subjects were composed of 400
average students of urban and rural in Jeju province. A questionnaire was made of 18 test
questions for examination of concepts in \'insects\'. The data obtained in this study were
analyzed by SPSS statistical program.
The major results were as follows: The cognitive proportion on \'insects\' was low, especially
in 6 questions. The reasons of the misconceptions in this study were classified into an immature
cognitive factors, a misapprehension of consciousness, hasty decision and deduction, the wrong
analogical inference, mass communications (TV or internet), experimental difference in nature
and culture, vagueness of the language, and textbook.
On the other hand, the misconception proportion of female students was higher than that of
male students in 6 questions. As the possible explanation for the difference of the
misconception proportion, female students are due to dislike and creepy on \'insects\' compared
to male students. Another possibility is that these differences can be influenced by the
difference of experiment in nature on \'insects\'. In comparison of concepts between rural and
urban students, there were similar to each other.
To correct the misconceptions on \'insects\', therefore, it needs to do inquiry activities, explanation
of various examples, discussion activities through small groups, induction of complications for
conceptual change learning, and so on. Data from this study may help teachers carrying out
education for elementary students to reconsider their conceptions on \'insects\'.