Examination of Effects of Embedding Formative Assessment in Inquiry-Based Teaching on Conceptual Learning

Scaffolding in learning and teacher guidance during inquiry can be attained by formative assessment, which needs to be built into every stage of inquiry. Investigation of the effects of embedded formative assessment in inquiry-based learning on students’ conceptual understanding was the aim of this study. Mixed method experimental research design including quantitative and qualitative data collection methods was used for this study. The participants were 41 students, who were in tenth grade of a suburban public high school. The study reached the following conclusions. First, formative assessment combined with inquiry-based teaching serves as a catalyst for students’ conceptual learning and elevates effects of inquiry. Second, eliciting evidence of learning and feedback may be the primary stages of formative assessment in accelerating student learning and supporting student knowledge development. This study suggests that assessment should be done when teaching continuous and teachers need to adopt formative assessment while performing inquiry-based teaching

Effects of Model‐based Teaching on Pre‐service Physics Teachers’ Conceptions of the Moon, Moon Phases, and Other Lunar Phenomena

The purpose of this study was twofold. First, it was aimed to identify Turkish pre‐service physics teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the Moon, Moon phases, and other lunar phenomena. Second, the effects of model‐based teaching on pre‐service teachers’ conceptions were examined. Conceptions were proposed as mental models in this study. Four different questionnaires including 22 generative, explanation, and factual questions were used through the study. The pre‐service physics teachers’ mental models generated in response to lunar phenomena might be representations of their naïve knowledge as a result of their causal observations and experiences with the world, and their misconceptions as a result of inconsistencies between their naïve knowledge and scientific knowledge. Therefore, the pre‐service teachers’ mental models were categorized based on the work by Chi and Roscoe. Some of the pre‐service teachers’ mental models shifted from flawed or incomplete mental models to correct mental models of the Moon and lunar phenomena with the facilitation of model‐based teaching. The conclusions of the study carry implications for curriculum developers and teacher education