Pupils encounter the concepts of temperature and heat in everyday life. In spite of this, there is a misunderstanding of concepts and their misuse. Often it is more difficult to restructure the misunderstanding of the concepts that pupils encounter every day, such as adopting new, unknown concepts. In this regard, the teacher has an important role. First, in the planning of the lesson he must initially verify the knowledge and misconceptions pupils might have. In the next phase, the teacher has to choose an appropriate method that will enable pupils to construct knowledge and also restructure the wrong knowledge they might have. One of the methods of active science learning, which enable this, is the predict-observe-explain method.
In the master's thesis, we were researching the effectiveness of using the predict-observe-explain method at teaching in 4th and 5th grade of elementary school. We were focusing on what the pupil's ideas about the temperature and the heat are, and how, and to what extent with the use of the predict-observe-explain method they approach to scientific understanding. At the same time, we were researching how pupils in the 4th and 5th grade respond to the usage of the predict-observe-explain method.
In the study, we used the descriptive method of pedagogical research and a qualitative research approach. The sampling method was non-randomized, dedicated. For the purpose of in-depth analysis of the pupil's understanding of the concepts of temperature and heat, the sample consisted of 8 pupils from the 4th and 5th grade of elementary school. We divided them into 4 pairs, namely 2 pairs from the 4th grade and 2 pairs from the 5th grade. In order to collect the data, we compiled the following: a knowledge test (pre-test, post-test); learning preparation, which consists of a set of five tasks designed according to the chosen method; observation sheet; and a short questionnaire. First, we individually checked the pupils' pre-knowledge, using a knowledge test (i.e., pre-test) on the topic of temperature and heat. Then, the individual pairs followed the treatment of temperatures and heat by using the predict-observe-explain method. While using the predict-observe-explain method, pupils completed worksheets with tasks designed according to the predict-observe-explain method. The set of tasks designed according to the predict-observe-explain method consist of five tasks: Temperature and heat, Heat passing, Heat conductivity, Effect of surface on heat flow and Mixing of liquids. During the implementation of the tasks we were observing the responses of pupils and recorded them on a pre-prepared observation sheet. Finally, with the knowledge test (i.e., post-test), which was the same as the knowledge test used in the first part of the data collection (i.e., pre-test), we individually verified the adopted/in-depth knowledge.
The results of the research show that pupils of the 4th and 5th grade respond positively to the use of the predict-observe-explain method. We have identified that pupils of the 4th and 5th grades have preconceived ideas and thoughts about temperature and heat that are often contrary to scientific truths. Using the predict-observe-explain method at teaching temperature and heat proved to be successful in achieving the goals of the lesson. On the selected sample, it turned out that after the use of the predict-observe-explain method in the knowledge test, all pupils in the 4th and 5th grade made progress. However, due to the difference in the pre-knowledge among pupils of grades 4 and 5, there are noticeable differences in their understanding of the concepts in connection with temperature and heat. The results of the research apply only to the selected sample and cannot be generalized to the whole population. Nevertheless, the results provide a good starting point for teachers of elementary school, natural sciences and physics for planning lessons for teaching temperature and heat.
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