Research for a Teaching Approach: An Example of Addressing the High School Students’ Conceptual and Reasoning Difficulties in the Study of Direct Current Simple Electric Circuits

Abstract

With this work we aim at presenting a research on high school students’ (ages 16-17, Greece 2015-2017) understanding into the study of basic direct current (DC) circuits. Studies on this subject in over the world have contributed to a rich research base. Students’ conceptual and reasoning difficulties are presented and analyzed, aiming at the development of methodologies and teaching approaches, accompanied by instructional material to resolve them. The difficulties experienced by these students indicate a significant discrepancy between their conceptions and the scientific view. To address these difficulties, the design and the development of two types of programs were chosen. The first is based on educational models in the laboratory and the second consists of auxiliary courses and educational material for its simultaneous use in classroom teachings. The conclusion is that the existing literature is confirmed and enriched with new findings, while a different teaching approach accompanied by appropriate educational material seems to help the address of the conceptual and reasoning difficulties.