Development Conception of Energy in Secondary School Physics Azlinah Ispal, Mohd Zaki Ishak Faculty of Psychology and Education University Malaysia Sabah

Introduction Physics Energy Concept Development Conception Difficult subject Not interesting Physics Central concept of scientific disciplines Abstract and mathematical idea Energy Concept Constructivist research Development Conception

Alternative Concept Personal and idiosyncratic ideas about energy which are nor simply just isolated misconceptions, but are parts, of a complex structure which provides a sensible and coherent explanation of the world from the students’ point of view. Alternative Concept of Energy energy is something people have energy is something objects can have and lose energy is the reason that something happen energy is something objects do energy is associated with activity or motion energy is something that is created by certain events energy is a generalized kind of fuel energy is viewed as a kind that can be transferred from one object to another energy is viewed as a kind that can be transferred from one system to another Trumper, R. (1993) Children's energy concepts: A cross-age study. International Journal of Science Education, 15, 139-148. Watts, D. M. (1983). Some alternatives views of energy. Physics Education, 18, p 213-217.

Progression of Learning Abstract Mappings Single Abstractions Representational Systems Representational Mappings Alternative conception Scientific conception Developmental Maieutics Duschl, R., Schweingruber, H., & Shouse, A. (Eds.). (2007). Taking science to school: Learning and teaching science in grades K-8. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Developmental Maieutics An approach to identifying sequences of conceptual development involves student’s cognitive level and conceptual content of energy Students can coordinate two or more single representation Students can comprehend complicated concrete ideas by integrating several representation into a system Students can derive unpopular concepts from concrete instances – the beginning of abstractions Students can coordinate two or more single abstraction Dawson-Tunik, T. L. (2004a). “a good education is….” The development of evaluative thought across the life-span. Genetic, Social and General Psychology Monographs, 130(1), 4-112.   Dawson-Tunik, T. L. (2006). Stage-like patterns in the development of conceptions of energy. In X. Liu & W. J. Boone (Eds.), Applications of Rasch measurement in science education (111-136). Maple Grove, USA: JAM Press.

Instructional Intervention Procedure Instructional Intervention Interview Time 2 Interview Time 1 Interview Time 1 Interview Time 2 Observation Writing Assessment FINDINGS

Result Analysis of Cognitive Development . . .

Result Analysis of Conceptual Development . . . .

Result M Example 1: Situation 1 – A book on the table Interview Time 1 A1 – Energy as motion RM – Representational Mappings Interview Time 2 S1 – Energy has different forms and sources AM – Abstract Mappings

Result Example 2: Situation 2 – Toy trains Interview Time 1 SA – Single Abstractions Interview Time 1 A1 – Energy as motion A6 – Energy is a force A2 – Energy make something happen AM – Abstract Mappings A5 – Energy can be destroyed Interview Time 2 S2 – Energy can be transformed S1 – Energy has different forms and sources S4 – Energy is a conserve quantity

Result Example 3: Situation 4 – Pushing a wheelbarrow Interview Time 1 SA – Single Abstraction A3 – Energy is something people have A2 – Energy is the reason of something happen Interview Time 2 SA – Single Abstraction A1 – Energy as motion

Result Example 4: Writing Assessment – Forms and Sources of Energy

Result Example 5: Writing Assessment – Conservation of Energy

Cognitive Development Conceptual Development Findings Cognitive Development Time 1 Time 2 SA – Single Abstractions RM – Representational Mappings AM – Abstract Mapping RS – Representational Systems Conceptual Development Time 1 Time 2 A2 – Energy is the reason of something happen S1 – Energy comes in different forms and sources A5 – Energy can be created or destroyed S2 – Energy can be transformed A1 – Energy as motion S4 – Energy is a conserve quantity A6 – Energy is a force A3 – Energy is something people have A4 – Energy like a fluid A7 – Energy is not involved in any activity

Findings The conservation of energy concept is the most difficult concept to understand and to apply in real situation Students develop at different rates, different levels in different concepts. Students’ experiences, perceptions, beliefs, culture and language are still affecting their conception of energy Alternative conceptions are difficult to replace with scientific conceptions and learning accurate physics conception is arduous.

Conclusion Initial teaching of energy should be focusing on developing understanding of forms and sources concept first A general development of energy conception can be discovered in this research, unfortunately the individual concept of energy created at distinct levels yet undiscovered so far. So, it is necessary to conduct further research on investigating the students develop understanding of individual concept of energy so that a design of energy curriculum can be identified

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