Date of Award

1-2014

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Education (MEd)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Dr.Ali Khalfan Al -Naqbi

Second Advisor

Dr.Nagib Mahfoodh Balfakin

Third Advisor

Dr.Hassan Hamed Tarib

Abstract

This study explores the misconception of the female students at 11thgrade about the heat concepts (e.g., latency, conduction, equilibrium, boiling point, etc.) the study targets to i – classifying the misconception nature, and ii- distinguishing the heat misconception from point of the lack of knowledge and lucky guess. A sample of 230 female students at 11th grade randomly selected from five secondary schools in the Emirates of Fujairah; northern UAE. The heat misconception test (HMT), a three –tier diagnostic instrument comprising of ten question is used as data collection tool. The study raises the three research questions. i- what is the misconception are the 11th grade students demonstrating about the heat concepts?, ii- what would be the percentage of the 11th grade students who demonstrate lack of knowledge about the heat conception, and iii- What would be the percentage of the 11th grade students who demonstrate lucky guess about heat concept? The participants classified into four categories according to their understanding about the heat concepts i- misconceptions. ii- lack of knowledge. iii- lucky guess and iv- scientific Knowledge.

The data analysis reveal s that most of participants from the 11th grade students expressing misconceptions about the heat as a physical phenomenon, whereas more than 50% of the participants expressing misconceptions about heat equilibrium . The concept ion of latent heat boiling point. Specific heat capacity. and heat latent expressed by 62% of the participants. 1 3% expressing heat misconceptions from the lack of knowledge. However, 3% of the students expressing heat misconceptions that related to lucky guess by a ii questions in H MT. On the other hand, 21 % of the students having a proper scientific knowledge about the heat physics. As the misconception about teaching a physical phenomenon is a learning challenge. The study recommends improving the delivery of the scientific subject to be more practical than theoretical . Moreover, the test should consider conceptions of the students regarding the natural phenomena. The implications of the study are for the science teachers to encourage the students to engage intensively in the classroom interaction. The implications as well for the science curriculum specialists to introduce easy-to-understand scientific knowledge and problem solutions.

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