Students’ Alternative Conceptions about Electricity and Effect of Inquiry-Based Teaching Strategies

This study attempted to investigate the alternative conceptions that a group of 12 Lebanese students in a grade 9 class hold about electricity. It also attempted to evaluate learning outcomes of implementing in that class an inquiry-based module for the acquisition of conceptual understanding of bas...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Osta, Iman (author)
Other Authors: Chatila Afra, Nada (author), Zoubeir, Wassim (author)
Format: article
Published: 2009
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10725/2886
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10763-007-9106-7
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10763-007-9106-7
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Summary:This study attempted to investigate the alternative conceptions that a group of 12 Lebanese students in a grade 9 class hold about electricity. It also attempted to evaluate learning outcomes of implementing in that class an inquiry-based module for the acquisition of conceptual understanding of basic concepts in electricity. Fourteen mostly subjective tests were administered throughout the implementation phase of the inquiry-based module to assess the evolution of participants’ conceptions. The instrument DIRECT (Version 1.0) focusing on conceptual understanding was used as a post-instructional test to measure acquisition of understanding. The findings revealed that most of the alternative conceptions reported in literature were found amongst the participants. Results of the post-testing showed that the implemented inquiry-based approach was successful in enhancing participants’ conceptual understanding of the targeted DC circuit concepts.