Fields in Middle School Energy Instruction to Support Continued Learning of Energy

Autor/inn/en	Fiedler, Kristin; Kubsch, Marcus; Neumann, Knut; Nordine, Jeffrey
Titel	Fields in Middle School Energy Instruction to Support Continued Learning of Energy
Quelle	In: Physical Review Physics Education Research, 19 (2023) 1, Artikel 010122 (11 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Fiedler, Kristin) ORCID (Kubsch, Marcus) ORCID (Neumann, Knut) ORCID (Nordine, Jeffrey)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Schlagwörter	Science Education; Energy; Middle School Students; Grade 6; Science Instruction; Instructional Effectiveness; Teaching Methods; Foreign Countries; Science Achievement; Germany + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Naturwissenschaftliche Bildung; Energie; Middle school; Middle schools; Student; Students; Mittelschule; Mittelstufenschule; Schüler; Schülerin; School year 06; 6. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 06; Teaching of science; Science education; Natural sciences Lessons; Naturwissenschaftlicher Unterricht; Unterrichtserfolg; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Ausland; Deutschland
Abstract	Science education research has repeatedly revealed students' problems with understanding the energy concept, in particular, their understanding of potential energy. Newer research suggests that teaching students fields as a means to store potential energy may promote a more consistent understanding of the energy concept. Yet, it is presently unknown if the helpfulness of fields is limited to particular manifestations of potential energy or if the conceptualization of potential energy as energy stored in fields may constitute a coherent approach that supports students' continued learning on energy. To address this issue, we carried out a quasi-experimental pre-post-test study with N = 64 students from grade 6, with students being assigned to one of two conditions (fields-based vs nonfields-based approach to energy instruction). We also compared students continued learning in a subsequent unit on electric energy. Our findings suggest that students in the fields approach not only outperformed students in the nonfields approach, they were, in particular, able to use their understanding of potential energy to make better sense of electric energy, a form of energy previously unknown to them. The results of our study imply that fields can help students develop a deeper understanding of energy, in particular potential energy, and support continued learning about energy; that is, the learning about additional forms of energy. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	American Physical Society. One Physics Ellipse 4th Floor, College Park, MD 20740-3844. Tel: 301-209-3200; Fax: 301-209-0865; e-mail: assocpub@aps.org; Web site: https://journals.aps.org/prper/
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01