Pixel International Conferences

Energy as an integrating concept is currently a widely discussed subject in didactics of physics among its representatives. Many theoretical works and book publications related issues have been published in various didactic teaching approaches. Our work also concerns the same subject. We are focusing on an innovative, however not frequently used, method in evaluating teaching process, which uses graphical depiction - conceptual mapping. The conceptual mapping belongs to strategies leading to meaningful learning. Based on conceptual maps, it is possible to look into the pupils' minds, in which they create their own structure, made up of familiar as well as new concepts. Comparison of complex conceptual maps of related concepts can provide an image of their hierarchical structure. Conceptual maps are investigated using the methods of analysis of semantic networks. Using this method, we were detecting whether a selected group of pupils from elementary school perceived terms related to energy from its integrative point of view, or primarily from one perspective, only within the subject of physics. The aim was to find out whether pupils are able to connect meaning of the terms related to energy in science (physics, biology, chemistry) and also in technology. The integrating role of the concept of energy have to be reflected in the hierarchical structure of it conceptual maps.

Keywords: Energy concept, Concept maps, Energy integration characteristic;