本文透過紙筆測試及晤談方式探討國小跨年級、跨年齡學童有關天文學的心智模 式及其認知發展。具體的問題是探討國小三∼六年級學童對（一）星星、太陽、 地球及月球大小：（二）星球形狀及（三）地心引力的心智模式及其發展。測試研 究對象總共264人，包括彰化縣三年級兩班(62人)和六年級兩班(63人)、台中市 四年級兩班(74人)及嘉義市五年級兩班(65人)。所需資料來自紙筆測試及晤談， 紙筆測試題目計四題，並且每班挑選上、中、下程度各三人(共24人)進行訪談。 參與測試、訪談及收集數據的是已接受有關訪談訓練的四位研究生，本文以百分 比分析各心智模式類型的學童分佈。 本研究有三點重要發現：（一）樣本學童對天文認知發展，發現三年級與四年 級間有急速之進步，與美國學童發展有些差異。（二）學童的地心吸引力想法可分 為六種心智模式，分別是：類型I-非均向地心吸引力型；類型Ⅱ-地心才有吸引 力型；類型Ⅲ-單向地心吸引力型；類型Ⅳ-正確地心吸力型；類型Ⅴ-地表才有 吸引力型；類型VI-太空無吸引力型。（三）中文科學名詞的直接隱喻（如「地心」 引力、地「球」）影響學童對科學的認知心智模式。

　　　　　This paper presents the resules of a cross-aged, investigation to explore elementary school students' conceptual development in astronomy, Third, 4th 5th, and 6th grade students were asked and examined with five questions about the mental models of the shape, the relative magnitude with the star, the sun, the earth and the moon, and the gravity. Data came from 264 students with pencil-and-paper test and 24 interviewees. There were three findings in this study. Firstly, a rapid improvement between 3rd and 4th graders is different from American students' ecology. Secondly, six mental models about gravity pattern, earth-hearted attraction pattern, one-way gravity pattern, scientific pattern, surface attraction pattern and space with no gravity pattern. Finally, a scientific term with metaphor may effect students' conceptual development.