Abstract:
The main objective of this research study is to explore students conceptions
and to promote conceptual change through application of constructivist approach.
This dissertation will develop an awareness of the existence of high frequencies of
alternative conceptions in science students at secondary level. The population of the
study was secondary schools boys and girls (classes 9 and 10) of government schools
of Lahore city. The research study accomplished in three phases. In phase-I, the
sample of the study was consisted of 120 subjects of class 10 randomly selected to
explore students understanding as an evidence of high frequencies of alternative
conceptions to conduct experimental research study in phase-III. The phase-II was
the establishment of constructivist teaching strategy for the experimental treatment to
the subjects in phase-III. The phase-III was consisted of randomly selected sample of
440 male and female students of class 9 from four public schools. Experimental
treatment and measure of conceptual change was carried out. Four basic concepts of
chemistry were selected, such as composition of matter, solutions, chemical bondings
and chemical change.
Total 527 subjects were probed through Interview about
Instances (IAI) or Interview About Event (IAE) research instruments in both phases (I
& III). Total 26 instances/non-instances /events about all the four selected concepts
were used to explore students understandings of each subjects. The reliability of the
instrument (IAI & IAE) was determined by Cohan Kappa through inter-rater
reliability. Content validity was established by experts. Overall high frequencies of
alternative conceptions or lower frequencies of scientific responses were obtained
from the boys and girls subjects of class 10 and class 9 (control groups). These both
groups were taught through traditional textbook approach.
Although, there is
relatively low frequency of alternative conceptions in girls than boys. But overall
high proportion of alternative conceptions in boys/girls at secondary level is big
challenge for science educators.
However, low frequency of the alternative
conceptions in experimental groups of both boys and girls determined the
effectiveness of constructivist approach towards promoting conceptual change.
