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Preservice teachers’ and teachers’ conceptions of energy and their ability to predict pupils’ level of understanding

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Abstract

The study examined (a) the extent to which teachers and preservice teachers understand the concept of energy and adhere to particular preconceptions associated with it; and (b) their ability to predict pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the same concept. Teachers and preservice teachers completed a test by indicating for each item what their response was and what an average sixth-grade pupil’s response might have been, and their predictions were compared to actual pupil performance. Results indicated that teachers’ and preservice teachers’ understanding of the concept was far from complete, and that teachers were, in general, more likely to overestimate pupils’ knowledge.

Résumé

Cette étude examine (a) le degré de compréhension des enseignants et futurs enseignants en ce qui concerne la conception de l’énergie et leur adhérence à des préconceptions particulières associées à cette conception et (b) leur habilité a prévoir la connaissance et la compréhension des élèves en ce qui concerne la même conception. Les enseignants et futurs, enseignants ont complété un test indiquant pour chaque question leur propre réponse et la réponse possible des élèves de la classe de sixième. Les prédictions ont été comparées à la performance réelle des élèves. Les résultats montrent d’un part que la compréhension de la conception de l’énergie de la part des enseignants et futurs enseignants est insuffisante et d’autre part que beaucoup d’enseignants surestiment la connaissance des élèves.

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Diakidoy, IA.N., Iordanou, K. Preservice teachers’ and teachers’ conceptions of energy and their ability to predict pupils’ level of understanding. Eur J Psychol Educ 18, 357–368 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03173241

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03173241

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