New Perspectives in Science Education

The aim of this study was to investigate how understand secondary school students relationship between energy, sources of energy, form of energy and how change these conceptions in time at science and technology programmed. For this aim, a questionnaire composed of four open ended question was applied to 60 students. The data obtained from students responses, we identified that students have some problem to constructing the conceptions in your mind related to energy, sources of energy, form of energy and transfer of energy.

This study carried out secondary school students from six to eight classes with 60 students that ages ranged from 11 to 14. Data obtained from students’ responses to the questionnaire showed that secondary school students didn’t understand correctly related to energy concepts.

The first question in the survey is related to the concept of energy. We asked to students Students first comes to your mind when you hear the word energy. Students’ responses to this question are strength, power, motion, light, electricity, sun. The second question in the survey, When Wind Energy, Solar Energy, Geothermal Energy is added to the left side of word energy concepts, how change your idea related to energy concept? Students the answers to these questions would be yes and no. In the third question, we asked to students Can you draw a picture of the concept of energy that occurs in your mind?. In general, the answers to questions students draw a picture of the sun and the walking man.

The last question in the survey, as seen when the switch is closed in a simple electric circuit, what kind of energy transformation occurs 1, 2, 3, and 4 section of circuits? In general, students believe that energy is converted into heat and movement.  

The survey results showed that the students have some problems related to meaning of energy concept, energy transformation and different form of energy.