Abstract
A large scale quantitative study involving 1,786 Years 7-10 students was undertaken to evaluate their understanding of Light Propagation and Visibility of Objects, that is of two concept groups in two different contexts, using four pairs of two-tier multiple-choice items. Students' conceptual understanding in the Light Propagation concept group was found to be less context-dependent than in the Visibility of Objects concept group, with greater agreement between correct responses in the items relating to Light Propagation concepts. Also, these two concept groups were found to be moderately correlated, most likely as a result of students' limited experience in observing objects in complete darkness. Moreover, students' grade levels were found to have limited influence on their understanding of basic optics concepts. These research findings illustrate the need for teachers to provide students with a wide range of experiences in different contexts so as to improve their understanding of basic optics concepts.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Contemporary science education research |
| Subtitle of host publication | learning and assessment |
| Editors | Gultekin Çakmakci , Mehmet Fatih Tasar |
| Place of Publication | Turkey:Pegem Akademi |
| Publisher | European Science Education Research Association |
| Pages | 307-314 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Volume | 4 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9786053640332 |
| Publication status | Published - 2009 |
| Externally published | Yes |
| Event | European Science Education Research Association 2009 Conference - Istanbul, Turkey Duration: 31 Aug 2009 → 4 Sept 2009 |
Conference
| Conference | European Science Education Research Association 2009 Conference |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Turkey |
| City | Istanbul |
| Period | 31/08/09 → 4/09/09 |