Browsing by Author "Sağlam Arslan, Ayşegül"

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Prospective physics teachers’ level of understanding energy, power and force concepts
(2009-06-18) Kurnaz, Mehmet Altan; Sağlam Arslan, Ayşegül
The aim of this study is to determine prospective physics teachers’ level of understanding of the concepts of energy and the related concepts of force and power. The study was carried out with the participation of 56 physics education department students at a university in Karadeniz region. All participants had previously taken an introductory physics course. To reach the aim of the study, an achievement test with 5 questions was formed for each concept and the collected data was analyzed using the description method. The data analysis revealed that majority of the students were not at the intended level in defining and explaining the energy, power and force concepts scientifically, and they could not associate these concepts with their daily life. Backed by the available results, utilizing associations of these concepts and using conceptual change texts were suggested for effective teaching of the concerned concepts.
Using the Anthropological Theory of Didactics in Physics: Characterization of the Teaching Conditions of Energy Concept and the Personal Relations of freshmen to this Concept
(Journal of Turkish Science Education, 6(1), 72-88, 2009-03-25) Kurnaz, Mehmet Altan; Sağlam Arslan, Ayşegül
In this article, the complex relationships between teaching conditions of energy concept and students’ personal relations to this concept were investigated. The Anthropological Theory of Didactics, developed by Chevallard, has been used as a framework. In order to determine these complex relationships, first the sourcebook (Survey Physics I) used at the university has been analysed (to deduce Institutional Relation to energy concept) and secondly an achievement test has been used to collect data (to deduce Personal Relation to energy concept). The sample of the study comprised 36 first grade university students attending to the Fundamental Physics I course in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at the Karadeniz Technical University. The praxeological approach was used to analyze the data obtained in a descriptive and qualitative way. Not only a close relationship was found between the teaching activities and the students’ perception of energy concept, but also the adverse effects of institutional relations to personal relations about energy were determined.