A Thematic Review of Some Studies Investigating Students’ Alternative Conceptions About Energy

Abstract

Since science education researchers, teachers, curriculum developers, and policy makers elsewhere, who have, or plan to use energy concept in their studies may have a busy schedule to track related studies, a review and synthesis of the studies of alternative conceptions of students about the energy concept are valuable for them. Therefore, the present paper presents a detailed thematic review of students’ alternative conception studies about the energy concept to highlight relevant people on the studies’ needs, methods, general knowledge claims and implications. Hereby, we may compile and notice where we are on students’ alternative conceptions related with energy concept. To this end, each study was described by using a thematic matrix. The aim of alternative conception studies about energy concept generally have been to emerge students’ understanding, determine appropriate age to teach energy concept, and compare understanding based on age or culture. While the methods of studies on exploring students’ understanding consist of interviews, paper and pencil surveys, and free writing, their analysis consist of classification, comparison, statistical, description, interpretation and praxeological. In light of the general knowledge claims, it can be deduced that most of the studies has highlighted that students have alternative conceptions about energy concept. The studies under investigation generally recommended taking into account their findings in teaching processes.