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Comparison of Pre-Service Physics Teachers’ Conceptual Understanding of Dynamics in Model-Based Scientific Inquiry and Scientific Inquiry Environments

Year: 2018
Type: article
Study design: Clinical Trial
Abstract: The focus of this study was to evaluate the impact of model-basedinquiry on pre-service physics teachers’ conceptual understanding of dynamics.Theoretical framework of this research was based on models-of-data theory.True-experimental design using quantitative and qualitative research methodswas carried out for this research. Participants of this study were 22 seniorpre-service physics teachers. The instructional strategy in the experimentalclass was model-based inquiry (MBI) while it was inquiry in the control class.Data were collected by using Force Concept Inventory (FCI), video recordings,inquiry reports and the instructor’s field notes. The results of Mann-Whitney Utests for two classes’ pre-tests and post-tests indicated that there was not anysignificant difference between two classes’ performances before and after thetreatment. On the other hand, the results of Wilcoxon signed-rank test showedthat the experimental class’s post FCI scores were better than their pre FCIscores. The following conclusions can be drawn from the study: Puttingmodelling explicitly into the center of inquiry facilitates conceptuallearning. Therefore, model building and formation in inquiry can be seen as away not only to represent what learners have already known but also to generatenew knowledge. Making associations with other phenomena under the framework ofepistemic characters of knowledge and expanding on these associations withdiscussions in inquiry learning environment promote students’ understanding. Finally,model quality may stimulate science learning; however, more research is neededto extend this conclusion.
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2785405665
FWCI: 0.65
Cites: 38
Cited by: 3
Related to: 10