Energy Concept Understanding of High School Students: A Cross-grade Study

Abstract

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.

Analysis of High School Students' Learning Discipline in Physics Learning

“…schools become not conducive to the implementation of the teaching and learning process. The novelty of this research is that it integrates an interdisciplinary approach between educational psychology and educational physics to more deeply analyze student learning behavior patterns [50]. New methods such as qualitative and quantitative data analysis are used to identify patterns of learning discipline that may influence students' academic achievement in physics subjects [51].…”

Development of learning path map of work and energy for high schoolers by using cognitive diagnostic assessment

“…However, students with the same overall score may have different attribute profiles or knowledge states (Bai, 2020). This mismatch in learning development results in students not reaching their full potential, as evidenced by their lack of understanding in the majority of work and energy concepts (Afif et al, 2017;Mustofa et al, 2019;Rivaldo et al, 2020;Takaoglu, 2018). Since students with different attribute profiles require different learning methods, creating the learning path map of work and energy helps teachers plan their instruction.…”

“…Mustofa et al (2019) found that 28.33%-55.00% of 11 th graders have mastery about work and energy. Takaoglu (2018) found that 6.96%-16.18% high schoolers have mastery about work and energy. Afif et al (2017) found that 29.63% of high schoolers have mastery about work and energy.…”

A Research on the Energy Literacy of Middle School Students

“…Since energy is effective in all areas of life such as industry, transportation, lighting and nutrition, many studies have been carried out in the national and international areas (e.g. Ayata, 2021;Bodzin et al, 2013;Chen et al, 2015;Takaoğlu-Başkan, 2018;Töman and Odabaşı-Çimer, 2013;Uğraş et al, 2017;Yıldırır et al, 2020). The number of studies on energy literacy at the national level is limited (Ayata, 2021;Boz, 2020;Göcük, 2015;Oluk et al, 2019).…”