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Assessing the effectiveness of hands-on lessons, online lessons or combinations of both for tackling students’ misconceptions about Newton’s first law
Otten, M.D. (2016) Assessing the effectiveness of hands-on lessons, online lessons or combinations of both for tackling students’ misconceptions about Newton’s first law.
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| Abstract: | Students hold on misconceptions about Newton’s first law which are tenacious and are often hard to change. Scientists are debating what the most effective method is to tackle those misconceptions. This research inquires what the most effective method is, comparing hands-on lessons, online lessons or combinations of both, to tackle students’ misconceptions about Newton’s first law. Secondary school students at the third grade level (N= 127) were assigned to four different conditions. Science curiosity scales and four-tier tests measuring (mis)conceptions and confidence were used as instruments. This study showed that no method or combination of methods was superior to another for student’s performances and confidence about Newton’s firs law and altering students’ science curiosity. The findings contribute to the scientific debate about which method is the most effective for acquiring conceptual change and stimulating science curiosity. The study offers educational practises and initiatives for promoting science curiosity insights if preferred instruction methods would exist. Furthermore, by implementing a four-tier test including open questions which gains insights in students’ confidence, it contributes as a methodological development of the four-tier diagnostic multiple choice test for research practices in the domain of misconceptions. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 77 psychology |
| Programme: | Psychology MSc (66604) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/70913 |
| Export this item as: | BibTeX EndNote HTML Citation Reference Manager |
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