The influence of high school physics teachers' beliefs about physics and physics education on alternative conceptions in electromagnetism: a Lesotho study
Date
1996
Authors
Qhobela, Makomosela
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Abstract
This study was designed to investigate beliefs of Physics Teachers, in Lesotho,
about Physics and Physics teaching and their awareness of students' alternative
conceptions.
The study used three questionnaires as its research tools. The first questionnaire
investigated beliefs of teachers about Physics concepts, particularly
electromagnetism, and the teaching of those concepts. An 'index of agreement'
was calculated to determine the tendency of responses. The second queatlonnalre
investigated teachers' awareness of students' alternative conceptions, while the
third investigated Students' alternative conceptlons. Teachers' predictions are
compared with the students' answers.
The study shows some teachers having beliefs which can be grouped into two
categories, namely constructlvlsts and empiricists. There is however no clear
separation between the two categories. The study also shows that some teachers
are not aware of students' alternative conceptlons, while some teachers had the
same alternative conceptions as students,
Description
A RESEARCH REPORT submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE in the SCHOOL OF SCIENCE EDUCATION of the UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND
Keywords
Physics--Study and teaching (Secondary)--Lesotho, Electromagnetism