Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
The frequency of alternate conceptions in some areas of mechanics amongst South African school pupils : a longitudinal and cross-cultural study
Bibliography: p. 675-681.
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
School of Education
2015
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613717777088512 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Enderstein, Lars Gustaf |
| author2 | Spargo, Peter |
| author_browse | Enderstein, Lars Gustaf Spargo, Peter |
| author_facet | Spargo, Peter Enderstein, Lars Gustaf |
| author_sort | Enderstein, Lars Gustaf |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Bibliography: p. 675-681. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/15989 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:40:35.612Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| publishDateRange | 2015 |
| publishDateSort | 2015 |
| publisher | School of Education |
| publisherStr | School of Education |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/15989 The frequency of alternate conceptions in some areas of mechanics amongst South African school pupils : a longitudinal and cross-cultural study Enderstein, Lars Gustaf Spargo, Peter Mechanics - Study and teaching (Secondary) Longitudinal studies Concept learning Personal construct theory Bibliography: p. 675-681. This study, the first of its kind in Southern Africa, was undertaken in order to determine and compare the incidence of various alternate conceptions in some areas in mechanics amongst pupils from standards 4 through to 9, i.e. from ages ca. 11 to 17, in selected schools in the Western Cape and Transkei, South Africa. After a careful study of the relevant literature a questionnaire was designed for the purpose of identifying the frequency of various alternate conceptions in the selected areas in mechanics. This questionnaire was administered to 2326 pupils under carefully controlled conditions during August and September 1987. In analysing the data the frequency of particular alternate conceptions in the following groups of pupils were compared: (i) by school standard (ii) by geographical area (iii) by language group (iv) by gender (v) by urban and rural regions in the Cape (vi) by subject choice i.e. science pupils and non-science pupils An analysis of the data shows that in most of the areas in the field investigated remarkably small differences exist in the frequency with which different alternate conceptions are held by different groups of pupils. In most cases differences could be related to the pupils' school standard. However, in the fields of circular motion, projectile motion and static equilibrium, clear differences were found to exist between boys and girls as well as between pupils in schools in the Western Cape and Transkei. Furthermore, in most cases examined the accepted scientific conception was the least popular, particularly in the field of force and motion where conceptions linking force and motion were overwhelmingly selected by pupils in all of the groups. However, an exception was the standard 9 science pupils, i.e. 16- 17 year olds following the science course in high school, who in some cases favour the accepted scientific conceptions by a small majority. The implications of the findings of the study for classroom teaching are discussed. 2015-12-28T06:09:24Z 2015-12-28T06:09:24Z 1991 Master Thesis Masters MPhil http://hdl.handle.net/11427/15989 eng application/pdf School of Education Faculty of Humanities University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Mechanics - Study and teaching (Secondary) Longitudinal studies Concept learning Personal construct theory Enderstein, Lars Gustaf The frequency of alternate conceptions in some areas of mechanics amongst South African school pupils : a longitudinal and cross-cultural study |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | The frequency of alternate conceptions in some areas of mechanics amongst South African school pupils : a longitudinal and cross-cultural study |
| title_full | The frequency of alternate conceptions in some areas of mechanics amongst South African school pupils : a longitudinal and cross-cultural study |
| title_fullStr | The frequency of alternate conceptions in some areas of mechanics amongst South African school pupils : a longitudinal and cross-cultural study |
| title_full_unstemmed | The frequency of alternate conceptions in some areas of mechanics amongst South African school pupils : a longitudinal and cross-cultural study |
| title_short | The frequency of alternate conceptions in some areas of mechanics amongst South African school pupils : a longitudinal and cross-cultural study |
| title_sort | frequency of alternate conceptions in some areas of mechanics amongst south african school pupils a longitudinal and cross cultural study |
| topic | Mechanics - Study and teaching (Secondary) Longitudinal studies Concept learning Personal construct theory |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/15989 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT endersteinlarsgustaf thefrequencyofalternateconceptionsinsomeareasofmechanicsamongstsouthafricanschoolpupilsalongitudinalandcrossculturalstudy AT endersteinlarsgustaf frequencyofalternateconceptionsinsomeareasofmechanicsamongstsouthafricanschoolpupilsalongitudinalandcrossculturalstudy |