Students Talk about Energy in Project-Based Inquiry Science

2013

2012

We have reviewed the existing literature on teaching and learning about energy to develop an overview of the ongoing debate on conceptual aspects of the construct and also to highlight the issues that have emerged in approaches to designing teaching–learning sequences. Our review is informed by those aspects of the historical evolution of the construct of energy that reveal the significance of this topic for science education, and the ongoing debate in science education research about the relevance of energy forms and causal explanatory thinking as features of the use of energy in systems analysis. We elaborate briefly on the distinction between mechanisms and causes, and we outline why energy can only be used as a framework for mechanistic descriptions of system behaviour and not for causal explanations. Drawing on our review, we present an argument for introducing energy as a theoretical framework in the age range of 11–14 years. We illustrate this epistemic approach by outlining in brief the skeletal structure of an activity sequence. The main features of this proposed approach include the use of theories to create models of phenomena, the distinction between states and processes, and the unifying and transphenomenological nature of energy as an interpretive framework. We analyse how this approach responds to the major challenges identified in the science education research literature concerning the teaching and learning of energy. In justifying this proposed approach, we draw on the epistemology of science and also on the detailed results of the broad range of existing studies on this topic from science education research.

2010

2017 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings

Universal Journal of Educational Research, 2018

Energy is a difficult concept to be understood by students of all levels. Thus, the aim of the study is to determine how high school students at different levels perceive the energy and related concepts. In line with this purpose, 173 students in total of which 57 ones of the 9th grade, 94 ones of the 10th grade and 22 ones of the 11th grade participated in the study in which developmental research method of descriptive research design has been conducted. Four open-ended questions about energy and related concepts have been asked to the students in the study. As a result of the study, it is concluded that the students use energy instead of work, power, repulsion and pulling concepts and they consider energy as a feature specific to living creatures and moving situations. The potential and kinetic energy types are most expressed ones. The students frequently give examples from renewable and non-renewable energy types and they classify them accordingly. It is also concluded that they don't have enough information about conservation of energy. It is thought that this misconception among the students emerges because energy and related concepts are taught them disconnected in different lessons of different disciplines and they do not understand preconceptions about energy and related notions. It is considered that the concept networks, concept maps, and conceptual change texts will help to relate energy concepts in students' minds.

M-1908. kāṇa 'dot in circle' କଣୀ-kaṇi, କଣୀୟାନ୍-kaṇīyān 'atom' kāṅiyo 'comb' (Nepali) rebus: kāṇa 'wealth' + kamari 'declivity' rebus: kamari 'workings of blacksmith' + dula 'two' rebus: dul 'metalcasting' + kolmo 'rice plant' rebus: kolimi 'smithy, forge' + Sign 342. karana 'rim of jar' rebus:karana 'dispatch,messenger, scribe, account' dāntā 'tooth, tusk' rebus: dhāˊtu 'ore of red colour' (ferrite ores, copper ores). pota 'young animal' rebus: pota 'metal infusion' khara 'onager' rebus: khār 'blacksmith' m308. Lady with one-eye, circled kāṇa 'dot in circle' is kāṇa 'possession, goods' kāṇī 'wealth'-kāṇa 'dot in circle' kāṇī 'one-eyed' (Sindhi); kāṇa, kāṇũ'full of holes' (Pkt. Gujarati) Rebus: kāṇa 'wealth, possession, property' കാണം kāṇam kāṇam T. M. C. (കാണുക) Possession, goods ಕಾಣಿ kāṇi property, possession, right of possession, hereditary right (T.; M. ಕಾಣ, possession, goods) காணி kāṇi hereditary right of possession, உரிமை-Fabricius's "Tamil and English dictionary"