IDENTIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF STUDENTS‘ MISCONCEPTIONS IN BASIC ELECTRICITY FOR GRADE 10 IN HETO SECONDARY SCHOOL

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to identify and characterize students‘ misconceptions about basic electricity (simple electric circuit). The study was carried out in Heto Secondary School in Hadya Zone with special reference to grade 10 students. Case study was employed to address the problem. To conduct this study, 60 students were selected through random sampling technique from total population of 360 students. In order to achieve the objectives, the study employed conceptual understanding test and semi structured interview about simple electric circuit. Each question in the conceptual understanding test and interview was designed to probe students‘ knowledge and understanding about electric circuit. All data collected using different tools were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The study identified some students‘ misconceptions in electric circuit. These were: I) some students believed that the total resistance of the circuit increased when two or more resistors were connected in parallel, II) the power supply provided constant current regardless of how the circuit is changed, III) only one wire connected to a battery was needed for the circuit to work, IV) each device consumes some of current passing through it and others. The study also described the causes for these misconceptions. These were students‘ personal experience, inappropriate use of laboratory, and unevaluated text books. Thus, to improve the situation, it is recommended that every educator should be aware students back ground, their daily life experience, and their pre conceptions before providing the lessons on electric circuit, teachers should also spent more time to produce more conceptual talk about the topic to bring conceptual understanding, different instructional methods should be applied to support conceptual understanding of students about simple electric circuit. Replacing those misconceptions by scientifically accepted conceptual views were necessary and efforts should be made to create awareness continuously for students, teachers, school principals and educational experts. Conducting trainings and different workshops with those concerned bodies was more advisable to increase the understanding and to avoid misconceptions in basic electricity.