Numerous studies have shown that students in the 9th grade of primary school have misconceptions in physics. These misconceptions occur in various subject areas, with many of them being related to the field of geometric optics, heat and temperature, radiation and colors, as well as heat flow and thermal conductivity. Both in physics and in other subjects, it is important to actively involve students in the learning process. In this way, students gain their own experiences related to the subject matter and, based on these experiences, construct their thinking and knowledge. The application of what they have learned in concrete life situations gives students a meaningful context for the learned concepts and helps them understand the subject matter, subsequently leading to the correction of misconceptions associated with it.
I wanted to connect the previously mentioned topics using materials I prepared as part of my master's thesis, with a focus on the use of a box-type solar cooker. A solar cooker is a device primarily used in countries facing issues with access to clean drinking water. It enables cooking and heating water and food using solar energy. Since students had not encountered it before, it provided a good starting point for reinforcing and connecting familiar physical phenomena and concepts while addressing the misconceptions students had regarding the selected educational topics.
In the empirical part of my master's thesis, I investigated how students connect and apply knowledge and skills in new situations when they become acquainted with and use a box-type solar cooker. I also explored which physical phenomena they recognize while using it. Additionally, I assessed how a group of students who carried out the activity evaluates and assesses the knowledge and skills they acquired. As part of the pedagogical research, I further examined the progress in the knowledge of 9th-grade students after conducting activities with the solar cooker, comparing it with students who did not participate in these activities.
The research included 56 students from one elementary school and 6 students from another. In my master's thesis, I used a descriptive and causal experimental research method, employing both qualitative and quantitative approaches. I collected data through knowledge tests (pre-, post-, and delayed tests), semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and participant observation. All students took a pre-test before the lesson connected to Heath and Temperature and a post-test after the lesson. Based on the post-tests, I analyzed the misconceptions that appeared. Students who conducted activities with the solar cooker also took a delayed test after completing the activities. I monitored their work, their expression of physics concepts, and their ability to connect knowledge during their activities. After each activity, students answered a brief questionnaire. Several days after the activities, I conducted semi-structured interviews with them.
The results of the research showed that the activities involving the solar cooker were effective for students, as they demonstrated greater progress in knowledge compared to students who did not participate in the activities. Students generally liked the activities related to the solar cooker and found that they enhanced and reinforced their knowledge. It became apparent that students connect and apply knowledge from different educational topics differently in new life situations. They were best at connecting the acquired knowledge related to radiation and colors, but they encountered the most difficulty when applying knowledge related to thermal conductivity and geometric optics. It also became evident that when using the solar cooker, different students recognized different physical phenomena, which depended on their prior knowledge and learning abilities.
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