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Level of knowledge and misconception of the pupils on electric current
Ioana Caltun
" V. Alecsandri" High School Iasi, 6600 Iasi, Romania
Daniela Baban
" Tehnoton" High School Iasi, 6600 Iasi, Romania
Mihaela Ursulean,Vasile Ursulean
Country School of Brodina, Department of Suceava, Romania
Ovidiu Florin Caltun
Faculty of Physics, "A.I.Cuza" University, 11 Blvd Carol I, 6600 Iasi, Romania



GIREP Seminar
2003


The electrical and magnetic phenomena lead an important role in daily life. The pupils have or gain false representation on these phenomena. Science Education and Physics Education curricula endeavor to induce correct representation on electrical current in order to prevent misconceptions and their dangerous behaviors. The correct conceptions must represent solid and practical acquisitions for the pupils. The students demonstrate learning difficulties with regard to developing systemic reasoning, conceptual differentiation, establishing phenomenological relations and linking different models. In the development of scientific knowledge is a continuous interplay between experimental field, models and theory. That shows the necessity to allowing and establishing links between different levels of understanding of the reality. Such creative process requires intellectual effort and is usually the product of collaborative activity. Thus scientific models and theories transcend personal idiosyncratic views which students hold as products of everyday interaction with phenomena and ideas. They become part of a shared culture implying a particular way of "seeing" nature. Paper presents the results of few pathways in teaching electrical current. The experimental activities were interpenetrated with model demonstrations and sequences of computer assisted learning. The representations of the students on electrical current in different learning stages were explored by discussions, interviews and evaluation test.