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The purpose of this study was twofold: first to investigate the effect of conceptual change oriented instruction accompanied by concept cartoon worksheet with simulation on students’ conceptual understanding and second to remedy their misconceptions of direct current electric circuits. Participants were 139 pre-service science teachers from four intact classes. A quasi-experimental design was used in the study. The experimental group studied the concept with the application of concept cartoon worksheet and simulation, and the control group studied it with traditional instruction. Students’ conceptual understanding and misconceptions were measured by a tree-tired misconception test. It was administered as pre-and-posttest. There was no significant difference between the means of pre-test scores of experimental and control groups. The main effect of treatment on post-test scores was examined via ANCOVA with pre-test scores used as covariate. The frequency of each misconception was calculated for both groups, from pre to post-tests regarding all tiers of items. The analysis yielded a significant treatment effect on students’ post-test performances. The findings indicated that the conceptual change oriented instruction accompanied by concept cartoon worksheet and simulation is likely to be effective for conceptual understanding and decreasing most of students’ misconceptions in direct current electric circuits.

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The Current study investigated the effect of the 5E learning cycle in which the simulations were integrated on pre-service science teachers' achievement in photoelectric subject. Four sophomore level classes with their 140 students participated in the research and a quasiexperimental design was used. The classes were randomly assigned into one of the two treatment groups. The experimental group (n1=69, male=16, female=53) studied photoelectric effect with the developed instruction and the control group (n2=71, male=19, female=52) studied the same subject with traditional instruction. Achievement test and open-ended exam were administered to measure students' pre-and-post achievements. The main effect of treatment on post-tests scores was examined via MANCOVA with pre-achievement scores used as covariate. The analyses yielded significant treatment effect on the collective dependent variables. Follow up ANCOVA results indicated that the instruction developed for the experimental group affected participants' post-achievement and post-open-ended exam scores significantly. Extensive analyses of the open-ended exam items showed that some of the participants were considering the supplied potential as the preliminary condition for the current flow in photocell circuit. The instructors or researchers would develop their treatments by integrating scientifically well-developed simulations into 5E learning cycle and use them in their lessons to promote learners' achievements.

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