Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 9, Issue 1, Article 7 (Jun., 2008) Çiğdem ŞAHİN, Hava İPEK and Alipaşa AYAS Students’ understanding of light concepts in primary school: A cross-age study Contents Next

Students’ understanding of light concepts in primary school:
A cross-age study

 

Çiğdem ŞAHİN^1,4, Hava İPEK² and Alipaşa AYAS³

¹Giresun University, Education Faculty, Department of Elementary Science Education
28200, Giresun/TURKEY

²Karadeniz Technical University, Fatih Faculty of Education, Department of Elementary Science Education
61335- Söğütlü- Trabzon/ TURKEY

³Karadeniz Technical University, Fatih Faculty of Education, Department of Secondary Science and Mathematics Education, 61335- Söğütlü- Trabzon/ TURKEY

⁴Correspondence author

E-mail: hcsahin38@gmail.com

Received 17 Apr., 2008
Revised 15 Jun., 2008

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Contents

• Abstract

• Introduction

• Methodology

  • 1. The Sample

  • 2. Instrument and Data-Collection Procedure

  • Data Analysis

• Findings

  • 1. Data Collected from Primary School Students using an Open- Ended Question

  • 2. Data Collected From Primary School Students With Two-Tiered Test Questions

  • 3. Data Collected from the Sample through Interviews about Concepts and  Drawings

• Conclusion and Discussion

• Suggestions

• References

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Abstract

In this article we investigated 4^th, 6^th, and 8^th grade students’ misconceptions about light, sight, vision, source of light and examined students’ conceptual development of these concepts at different grade levels.

Data collection was done using five two-tiered test questions with one open-ended question, an interview about concepts and a drawing exercise. Questions were selected from previous studies done by different researchers and were adapted to Turkish. An experienced researcher and a lecturer commented on readability and comprehensibility of the examined test questions. Two- tiered test questions are used to find students explanations. The data frequencies are calculated and formed on tables. Collected data showed some distinguished and similar misconceptions among students’ grade levels. These findings showed that light concept is constructed hierarchically in students’ minds related to their ages; students’ concepts were affected by their daily life experiences. It is suggested that teachers should be aware of students’ misconceptions and daily life experiences in order to provide effective teaching.

Keywords: Misconception, conceptual development, light, cross-age study.

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