The use of practical activities to address grade 11 learners' conceptual difficulties in electricity and magnetism

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research study investigated the use of a practical activities-based approach toPhysical Sciences teaching using TRAC equipment to address learner conceptualdifficulties in Electricity and Magnetism (E&M). TRAC uses practical activities based onthe school curriculum to complement the theory through the utilisation of data loggingequipment linked to a computer. The participants in this study were a group of black Grade11 learners (n=47) from a township school in the province of the Western Cape, SouthAfrica. Their ages range from 16 to 21, with isiXhosa the home language of most of them.A mixed methods approach was utilized to gather the research data. Quantitative data wascollected, using pre- and post-testing of learners to determine their conceptual difficultiesin E&M, as well as to measure the effect of the practical activities-based approach inaddressing learner conceptual difficulties in E&M. Null hypotheses were formulated for thesix concepts and t-tests were used to find any statistically significant difference betweenthe pre- and post-test. Qualitative data was obtained from the learner transcripts, as wellas from the questionnaires and observation schedules. The results indicated significantimprovements in learner understanding of the concepts in five out of the six tests as wellas reducing commonly held misconceptions in E&M. It is recommended that carefulscaffolding should be done during a practical activity in order for learners to make theconnection between the domains of observables and ideas.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University