Effect of the four-step learning cycle model on students’ understanding of concepts related to simple harmonic motion

The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of the four-phase learning cycle method on the SSIII students' understanding of concepts related to simple harmonic motion. Results from this study showed that the application of the leaning cycle approach, such as four phase learning cycle enhances students' understanding of key aspects and concepts related to SHM. Possible reason for observed difference may include value associated with alternative ways of acquiring knowledge in science and confirmation value of hands-on-activities which are key characteristics of learning cycle (Lawson, 2001).

During learning cycle, students learned through their own actions and reactions by involving in hands on activities (Oludipe & Oludipe 2010). The hands-on activities are those activities involved in an experiment for practical experiences in Simple Pendulum. They explored new materials and phenomena that raise questions and encourage them to seek answers. Such question as, “what makes pendulum bob to come to rest?” Students’ exploration involved them in activities that enable them to examine the adequacy of their prior conceptions and force them to argue about and test those conceptions identified in this study. For instance, some of the students who fail to associate the concepts of acceleration, fixed point and displacement with SHM are likely to be in a state of disequilibrium. This disequilibrium sets in especially when predictions based on their prior beliefs are contradicted. This situation provides the students with the opportunity to construct or reconstruct more appropriate scientific conceptions (Madu, 2004; Narli, 2011). Hence, learning cycle approach requires a teaching environment in which students had more opportunity to identify and express their conceptions, examine the utility of them and apply the new concepts and ideas in a context familiar to them. However, in the traditional group, a concept or a group of related concepts was verbally introduced and explained in the lecture approach. Students in traditional group mainly focused on concepts related to the subject that require less conceptual restructuring.

The finding of this study regarding better performance of students in learning cycle group is consistent with the view claiming that correct use of the leaning cycle accomplishes effective learning of science concepts (Lawson, 2001:166). According to Lawson

Learning new concepts is not purely abstractive process. Rather, concept acquisition depends upon one’s ability to generate and test ideas or hypotheses and respect those that lead to contradictions. Thus, concept learning can be characterized as constructive; while new conceptual knowledge depends upon skill in generating and testing ideas. As one gains skill in generating and teaching hypotheses concepts construction becomes easier.

The above assertion indicates that for students to acquire the knowledge of SHM, the students should be able to understand the essential characteristics of such oscillatory motion like regularity and repetition of motion.

As seen in tables 1 and 2, there is statistically significant difference regarding pretest results between the experimental and control groups after the treatment in terms of their level of understanding of concepts in SMH. The results of the pretest and the post-test indicate that the students taught by using four-phase learning cycle method were more successful in shifting their levels of understanding from alternative conception to sound understanding and partial understanding respectively, than the students taught by the traditional approach.

In order to identify students misconceptions about SHM, students’ writings were used in this study. The students’ writings have shown that students bring their own intuitive ideas about the concepts related to simple harmonic motion. These ideas may have been deduced from personal experience or even from what they have read or seen in the physical world. Whenever these ideas are misconceptions, teachers should try to ensure that they are challenged and discussed immediately. Otherwise, student will find it very difficult to understand completely the processes and modeling in the physical world”

Successful learning of simple harmonic motion depends on being able to understand the principles involved. That is, being able to understand the following two rules

Deceleration is always in the opposite direction to the displacement from the equilibrium position.
Acceleration is proportional to the displacement from the equilibrium position.

It has been demonstrated from the results that they have not really understood the principles involved. The principles that a body in motion has an equilibrium position to which it always tends to return when displaced because it is acted by a restoring force. This restoring force causes the body to go to and fro past the equilibrium position.

Some research studies conducted by Barry and Graham (1992) revealed that there are misconceptions, in the students understanding of mechanical concepts, in particular, velocity, speed, acceleration and force. These concepts are so much involved in the study of simple harmonic motion and the failure to have a thorough understanding of these concepts affect the understanding of simple harmonic motion. While dealing with the concept of SHM, some students used a position criterion “the acceleration and velocity equal to zero”, or “velocity and acceleration are constant in motion”

Others either associated direction of acceleration with the direction of motion or thought that increasing velocity also meant increasing acceleration. This type of association is also found in their responses concerning frequency, period and speed. For example “when the speed of an object performing SHM is increased the frequency will increase while the period will increase”. “The frequency is increased and the period is increased”. Regarding the concepts of S.H.M, some students postulated a SHM as to and for movement of a body with the change of acceleration proportional to the displacement. Others thought that SHM is the time of motion in which the object or person moves to and fro rather than associating it with direction of acceleration towards fixed point and the acceleration being proportional to the displacement from the fixed point. The implication of the above findings is that the physics teachers may have to confront some of the students’ alternative ideas in SHM which are not easy to change. Another implication of this study is that students need to be aware of these conceptions and confront them through the use of 4Es that would allow students active participation. When teaching about concepts in SHM is very important to provide students with enough time and opportunity to construct or reconstruct ideas at their own pace, a meaningful conceptual model of properties of SHM that will be in accordance with scientific conceptions is required.