Assessing Student Misconceptions of the Electrical Potential of Spherical Conductors

The purpose of this study was to identify and assess the misconceptions of grade 12 students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) concerning the electrical potential of spherical conductors in physics. This study employed a two-tier multiple choice testing strategy to assess student misconceptions. The participants consisted of 200 grade 12 science students, including 100 male and 100 female students, drawn from UAE public high schools. The findings showed that the students held a variety of misconceptions regarding the electrical potential of spherical conductors. Moreover, most of the students did not possess a good understanding of the electrical potential of spherical conductors either in terms of content knowledge or in terms of scientific reasoning. These results are significant, as student misconceptions represent considerable barriers to meaningful student learning in physics. The results were discussed within the context of the UAE’s recent science education reform, and practical recommendations for high school science educators are suggested

Enhancing Scientific Discovery Learning by Just-in-Time Prompts in a Simulation-Assisted Inquiry Environment

We investigated the effects of just-in-time guidance at various stages of inquiry learning by novice learners. Thirteen participants, randomly assigned to an intervention (n = 8) or control (n = 5) group, were observed as they learned about DC electric circuits using a web-based simulation. Just-in-time instructional prompts to observe, predict, explain, systematically test, collect evidence, and generate rules were strongly associated with diagnosing and correcting misconceptions, and constructing correct scientific concepts. Students’ repeated use of predictions, systematic testing, and evidence-coordinated reasoning often led to formulating new principles, generalizing from observed patterns, verifying comprehension, and experiencing “Aha!” moments. Just-in-time prompts helped learners manage embedded cognitive challenges in inquiry tasks, achieve a comprehensive understanding of the model represented in the simulation, and show significantly higher knowledge gain. Just-in-time prompts also promoted rejection of incorrect models of inquiry and construction of robust scientific mental models. The results suggest ways of customizing guidance to promote scientific learning within simulation environments

Enhancing pre-service teachers' diagnostic competence in Physics misconceptions at public universities in Tanzania

Teachers require to diagnose students’ learning needs in order to plan and carryout effective lessons, a process similar to medical doctors diagnosing their patients before treatment. While it is crucial to enhance diagnostic competence in teachers, an issue remains about how we can best improve this competence among undergraduate pre-service teachers. In the teaching and learning process of science in middle or high schools, misconceptions can hinder learning of new Physics ideas if teachers do not detect and correct them in time. The current research carried out a meta-analysis of 22 empirical studies aimed at fostering diagnostic competences through intervention in teacher and medical education, summarized the findings, revealed the overall effect size, and examined the moderating factors. Following the results of the meta-analysis, we designed an experimental study to investigate the effects of problem solving and example-based learning instructional approaches on enhancing pre-service teachers’ diagnostic competence in Physics misconceptions. The meta-analysis revealed a positive medium mean effect size (g = 0.37) of interventions on fostering the development of diagnostic competences among undergraduate students in both domains. The moderator analysis suggests that an instructional approach is a significant moderator when we apply problem solving during the learning phase of an intervention. The experimental study revealed that both problem solving and example-based learning significantly enhanced pre-service teachers’ diagnostic competence in form of conceptual knowledge, but not the procedural knowledge. Problem solving instructional approach was more effective than example-based learning on enhancing diagnostic competence. The pre-service teachers’ diagnostic competence in the form of conceptual and procedural knowledge positively correlated with germane cognitive load, while it negatively correlated with intrinsic and extraneous cognitive loads. Example-based learning instructional approach significantly influenced both intrinsic and extraneous cognitive loads when compared with problem solving. Cognitive load did not significantly mediate the effect of the instructional approaches on diagnostic competences, and a rating scale questionnaire differentiated between the three types of cognitive load, but did not clearly discriminate between intrinsic and extraneous cognitive loads. The meta-analysis findings imply that learning to diagnose various aspects through problem solving is an effective means of advancing undergraduate students’ diagnostic competences. Learners’ prior diagnostic knowledge seems to be a covariate on enhancing diagnostic competences through interventions. An experimental study findings also imply that the problem solving instructional approach can enhance pre-service teacher’s diagnostic competence in identifying pupil’s Physics misconceptions better than example-based learning. In practice, the current research supports the assumption that integrating diagnostic practices into the Physics-methods course curriculum during undergraduate training programs can improve pre-service Physics teachers’ formative assessment skills. Some limitations can be accounted for by the findings in both studies. With respect to the meta-analysis, the restrictions of robust variance estimation method when estimating meta-regressions especially for moderator analyses could have limited the findings due to imbalances of level of some categorical moderator variables. This could have then affected the degrees of freedom and hence the power for moderation effect. In the experimental study, the random errors that might occur due to extraneous variable (e.g. individual ability) that could have affected the outcome measures rather than intervention treatment, and the assessment of pre-service teachers’ diagnostic knowledge through a same knowledge test could have also limited the findings. In conclusion, the meta-analysis supports the development of diagnostic competence through interventions (with a medium effect size), and indicates that problem solving is the best instructional approach. The meta-analysis also seems to point out the fact that example-based learning instructional approach may better fit learners with lower prior knowledge, whereas, problem solving may better fit learners with higher levels of prior knowledge. With respect to the experimental study, undergraduate pre-service teachers seem to learn abstract concepts and ideas about the diagnosis process better through problem solving than example-based learning. Both instructional approaches seem to facilitate the diagnostic competence effectively, if we consider the germane cognitive load high, while keeping the intrinsic and cognitive load to a minimum. The current research further emphasizes the need for a similar meta-analysis to include more studies and alternative moderators (e.g. types of feedback, prompts, and so on), and an experimental study to compare the effects of problem solving and example-based learning on diagnostic competences with immediate and delayed post testing

Impact of WLABEL exploitation on electricity learning: analysis of the students’ conceptual evolution

From studies whose objectives were the diagnostic of students’ conceptions and the development of teaching strategies to promote conceptual change, we designed a learning environment (WLABEL – Windows Electricity Laboratory) that aims the promotion of conceptual change in electricity. In this contribution, we briefly present the learning environment. The main purpose of the paper is to describe the qualitative studies carried out to evaluate the impact of WLABEL in students’ conceptual development. Since we have used several instruments, special attention is dedicated to the data triangulation carried out and to the analysis processes. In the last section a synthesis of the results is also presented.From studies whose objectives were the diagnostic of students’ conceptions and the development of teaching strategies to promote conceptual change, we designed a learning environment (WLABEL – Windows Electricity Laboratory) that aims the promotion of conceptual change in electricity. In this contribution, we briefly present the learning environment. The main purpose of the paper is to describe the qualitative studies carried out to evaluate the impact of WLABEL in students’ conceptual development. Since we have used several instruments, special attention is dedicated to the data triangulation carried out and to the analysis processes. In the last section a synthesis of the results is also presented

Impact of WLABEL exploitation on electricity learning: analysis of the students’ conceptual evolution

From studies whose objectives were the diagnostic of students’ conceptions and the development of teaching strategies to promote conceptual change, we designed a learning environment (WLABEL – Windows Electricity Laboratory) that aims the promotion of conceptual change in electricity. In this contribution, we briefly present the learning environment. The main purpose of the paper is to describe the qualitative studies carried out to evaluate the impact of WLABEL in students’ conceptual development. Since we have used several instruments, special attention is dedicated to the data triangulation carried out and to the analysis processes. In the last section a synthesis of the results is also presented.From studies whose objectives were the diagnostic of students’ conceptions and the development of teaching strategies to promote conceptual change, we designed a learning environment (WLABEL – Windows Electricity Laboratory) that aims the promotion of conceptual change in electricity. In this contribution, we briefly present the learning environment. The main purpose of the paper is to describe the qualitative studies carried out to evaluate the impact of WLABEL in students’ conceptual development. Since we have used several instruments, special attention is dedicated to the data triangulation carried out and to the analysis processes. In the last section a synthesis of the results is also presented

The use of an expert system to identify pupils' misconception in science: a prototype and evaluation

In this research, the author proposes a development which contributes towards a knowledge of linking research in diagnosing student misconception in science education and the expert systems technology. Specifically, the thesis will describe the development and evaluation of a prototype diagnostic system to become a supportive tool for classroom teachers. Three topics of electricity, speed and motion graphs, and floating and sinking were selected to explore the use of expert systems technology in diagnostic testing in science. For each topic, the strategy for building the rule-based diagnostic knowledge representation is discussed. The main steps are analysis of past research literature in pupil misconceptions, building a matrix table consisting of various parameters and logical relationship between these parameters, designing the questions for eliciting the understanding and building the rule base. Finally the rule base has to be organised for encoding into a format suitable for inclusion into a generic expert system shell (Leonardo). In general, the two forms of rules contained in the knowledge base are diagnostic rules and the question sequence rules. The diagnostic rule consists of if-then statements which describes the patterns of typical science misconceptions found in the literature. Detection of a specific pattern results in descriptive diagnostic feedback. The question sequence also consists of if-then rules which are used to support the branching of questions according to previous responses. In the topic of floating and sinking, the diagnostic rule makes use of the certainty factors feature of the shell in making a decision. Both school pupils and teachers were used to validate the program. The analysis of pupils' responses suggests that the program is capable of diagnosing pupil's misconception and that new diagnosis rules can be added to the program to cater for new patterns of understanding detected by the system. The teachers responded favourably to a questionnaire regarding the user interface, the accuracy and outcomes of the questions used in the program and the accuracy of the diagnostic feedback provided by the program. In conclusion, within the limitation of the scope of the diagnosis rule base contained in the program, the research shows that such a methodology for using the available expert knowledge is feasible

An investigation ofthe effectiveness of using analogies to develop a robust understanding of direct current (DC) electric circuits in first-year university students

The effectiveness of using a teaching strategy, based on analogies for direct current electric circuits, to attempt to address first-year underprepared university students was investigated. The study consisted of 53 participants drawn from the Faculty of Health Sciences at Nelson Mandela University. A quantitative research design was adopted using the “Determining and Interpreting Resistive Electric Circuits Concepts Test” (DIRECT) version 1.2 as a research instrument. The DIRECT is a 29-item multiple-choice test with only one correct answer in each question. The DIRECT was modified to further probe students’ confidence levels in their answers. The instrument served as a pre-test prior to the start of the formal lessons on direct current electric circuits. At the end of a five-week treatment period, the same instrument was administered to all participants as a post-test. The statistical analysis and interpretation of the preand post-test data were conducted using Software Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23 and STATISTICA version 12. In answering the main research question (How can a misconception-based module, using analogies,positively influence(or not)academically under-prepared first-year non-major Physics students’ conceptual understanding of direct current(DC)electricalcircuits?)and sub-questions thereof, the students’ mean scores between the pre-and posttest were calculate and compared using t-test at a significant level of 0.05. The results revealed a statistically significant difference between the preand post-test mean scores. The pre-test mean score was 22.24 with a standard deviation of 8.07. The post-test mean score was 38.68 with a standard deviation of 13.93. The mean score difference between the post-test and pre-test was 16.44 with a standard deviation of 13.82 at p-value less than 0.05. The results from the pre-test suggest that students held very strong alternative conceptions on direct current electric circuits. The post-test results also revealed that some alternative conceptions were still held onto after the intervention. There wasno statistical significant difference found between the students’ correct answers and their confidence levels. The quantitative analysis of the results suggested that there is a positive change between the post-testmean score and pre-test mean score and this change is statistically significant (p < 0.05). The results showed sufficient evidence to conclude that analogies-based teaching strategy was a vieffective means of reducing the number of alternative conceptions the students held about direct current electric circuits. The study recommended the need to ascertain out what the students felt about the improvement of their understanding of direct current electric circuits concepts. The study suggested a qualitative research methodology as an area for future research

Understanding of photosynthesis concepts related to students’ age

In Croatian schools, the complex photosynthesis concept is presented several times during primary and secondary school, each time with more detail. The problems in understanding photosynthesis processes are known from many previous studies and our own research ; thus we aimed to investigate how the students’ understanding of the basic photosynthesis concepts increases during the schooling period, and is it enhanced by gradual introduction of new contents. The present study was conducted on 269 students from 6 schools and 35 students preparing to be biology teachers. To test the students’ conceptual understanding, we implemented a question about the trends of O2 and CO2 gas concentrations during the night, which was expected to lead students to a correct explanation of photosynthesis, including the issues of the plants’ respiration and the absence of photosynthesis. Students of all age groups gave mainly incomplete explanations. The best result was achieved by the youngest participants in the age of 11, who have relied on the freshly acquired and well trained, but reproductive knowledge. Older students’ answers (aged 15, 17 and 22), which include more detail about the light-dependent and light-independent reactions, suggested that they developed misconceptions such as the belief that “oxygen is produced in Calvin cycle during the night” and that “CO2 converts to O2”. Student's explanations indicate the consistency of their understanding of the process, which does not change with gradual introduction of new contents as they are older. The observed misunderstanding could be linked to the cumulative introduction of the complex theoretical contents, but excluding research- based learning, as well as to inadequate time dedicated to establishing connections between students’ pre-conceptions and novel information. Our research results might be a strong argument supporting the upcoming change in the national curriculum

Investigating Student Learning of Analog Electronics

Instruction in analog electronics is an integral component of many physics and engineering programs, and is typically covered in courses beyond the first year. While extensive research has been conducted on student understanding of introductory electric circuits, to date there has been relatively little research on student learning of analog electronics in either physics or engineering courses. Given the significant overlap in content of courses offered in both disciplines, this study seeks to strengthen the research base on the learning and teaching of electric circuits and analog electronics via a single, coherent investigation spanning both physics and engineering courses. This dissertation has three distinct components, each of which serves to clarify ways in which students think about and analyze electronic circuits. The first component is a broad investigation of student learning of specific classes of analog circuits (e.g., loaded voltage dividers, diode circuits, and operational amplifier circuits) across courses in both physics and engineering. The second component of this dissertation is an in-depth study of student understanding of bipolar junction transistors and transistor circuits, which employed the systematic, research-based development of a suite of research tasks to pinpoint the specific aspects of transistor circuit behavior that students struggle with the most after instruction. The third component of this dissertation focuses more on the experimental components of electronics instruction by examining in detail the practical laboratory skill of troubleshooting. Due to the systematic, cross-disciplinary nature of the research documented in this dissertation, this work will strengthen the research base on the learning and teaching of electronics and will contribute to improvements in electronics instruction in both physics and engineering departments. In general, students did not appear to have developed a coherent, functional understanding of many key circuits after all instruction. Students also seemed to struggle with the application of foundational circuits concepts in new contexts, which is consistent with existing research on other topics. However, students did frequently use individual elements of productive reasoning when thinking about electric circuits. Recommendations, both general and specific, for future research and for electronics instruction are discussed