The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many aspects of education, including the quality of students’ knowledge in science subjects. One major change was the transition to distance learning, which reduced opportunities for practical work and direct explanation, both of which are crucial for understanding physics concepts. This thesis examines how students’ knowledge of the topic of electricity at the end of nine year primary school changed after the pandemic compared to their knowledge before the pandemic. In tasks related to the content of electric current in the national assessment of knowledge tests from 2016, 2019, 2023, and 2024, we analyse the answers of students who achieved a similar total score – within the second third of the maximum possible points in all four tests. We use quantitative analysis, categorising the answers according to the type of errors and the application of physical laws. To test the differences between the two groups, we use the chi-square test and, in a few selected examples of similar tasks, demonstrate a statistically significant decline in knowledge after the pandemic. In addition to the decline in knowledge, as shown by lower task-solving success, the thesis also highlights specific errors that occur more frequently after the pandemic than before. The thesis thus contributes to a better understanding of students’ difficulties with the topic of electric current after the pandemic and provides support to physics teachers in choosing areas of emphasis when addressing this topic in physics lessons.
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