SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION OF PHENOMENON, IMAGINATION AND CONCEPT FORMATION AS CORRELATES OF STUDENTS’ UNDERSTANDING OF PHYSICS CONCEPTS

ABSTRACT

The main purpose of this study was to ascertain if relationship exists between each of scientific explanation of phenomenon, imagination, concept formation and students’ understanding of physics concepts. To guide the study, seven research questions were posed and seven hypotheses were equally formulated and tested at 5% probability level. A correlational research design was adopted for this study. The study was carried out in Government owned secondary schools in Akure Education Zone of Ondo State. The sample size for this study consists of 385 Senior Secondary III Physics Students for the 2015/2016 academic session. This sample was drawn using the simple random sampling method to select thirty schools out of the fifty three schools contained in the population. Proportionate Stratified Random Sampling was used to select Senior Secondary III physics students present in the selected samples. Four instruments were used for the study, namely: Students’ Scientific Explanation of Phenomenon Test (SSEPT), Students’ Scientific Imagination Scale (SSIS), Students’ Scientific Concept Formation Test (SSCFT), and Students’ Understanding of Physics Concept Test (SUPCT). Students’ Explanation of Phenomenon Test (SSEPT) and Students’ Understanding of Physics Concept Test (SUPCT) were reliable using kendel tau. The internal consistency indices obtained were 0.81 and 0.86 respectively. The reliability of Students’ Scientific Imagination Scale (SSIS) was determined using Cronbach alpha formula and the reliability index obtained was 0.85. While, the reliability index of SSCFT was determined using Kudder-Richardson 20 (K-R20) Formula. With this formula, the internal consistency index of the instrument was calculated to be 0.82. The research questions were answered using Pearson Product Moment Correlation and the Null hypotheses were tested using Multiple-Regression analysis at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study were proffered among others that thereexists a direct positive relationship among students’ scientific explanation of phenomenon, students’ scientific imagination, scientific concept formation and students’ understanding of physics concepts. Additionally, there was a statistically significant relationship amongstudents’ scientific explanation of phenomenon, students’ scientific imagination, students’ scientific concept formation and students’ understanding of physics concepts. In line with the findings of the study, the educational implications of the findings were highlighted and recommendations were equally made. One of this recommendation is; Physics teachers, the Authors and Publishers of physics textbooks should take illustrations by models beyond their physical limitations to involve application of physics concepts learnt into phenomena that students observe and experience around them. Finally, Physics teachers were encouraged to help in fostering conceptual understanding of physics concepts in physics students using scientific explanation of phenomenon, scientific imagination and scientific concept formation.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

Science and Technology are two basic concepts which cannot be separated from one another. Science and technology in the view of Ezenwa and Gambari (2011) are important components of the knowledge to be given to citizens irrespective of tribe/ethnicity, creed or gender. Jegede and Awodun (2013) claimed that science and technology is incomplete without p ABSTRACT

The main purpose of this study was to ascertain if relationship exists between each of scientific explanation of phenomenon, imagination, concept formation and students’ understanding of physics concepts. To guide the study, seven research questions were posed and seven hypotheses were equally formulated and tested at 5% probability level. A correlation research design was adopted for this study. The study was carried out in Government owned secondary schools in Akure Education Zone of Ondo State. The sample size for this study consists of 385 Senior Secondary III Physics Students for the 2015/2016 academic session. This sample was drawn using the simple random sampling method to select thirty schools out of the fifty three schools contained in the population. Proportionate Stratified Random Sampling was used to select Senior Secondary III physics students present in the selected samples. Four instruments were used for the study, namely: Students’ Scientific Explanation of Phenomenon Test (SSEPT), Students’ Scientific Imagination Scale (SSIS), Students’ Scientific Concept Formation Test (SSCFT), and Students’ Understanding of Physics Concept Test (SUPCT). Students’ Explanation of Phenomenon Test (SSEPT) and Students’ Understanding of Physics Concept Test (SUPCT) were reliable using kendel tau. The internal consistency indices obtained were 0.81 and 0.86 respectively. The reliability of Students’ Scientific Imagination Scale (SSIS) was determined using Cronbach alpha formula and the reliability index obtained was 0.85. While, the reliability index of SSCFT was determined using Kudder-Richardson 20 (K-R20) Formula. With this formula, the internal consistency index of the instrument was calculated to be 0.82. The research questions were answered using Pearson Product Moment Correlation and the Null hypotheses were tested using Multiple-Regression analysis at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study were proffered among others that there exists a direct positive relationship among students’ scientific explanation of phenomenon, students’ scientific imagination, scientific concept formation and students’ understanding of physics concepts. Additionally, there was a statistically significant relationship among students’ scientific explanation of phenomenon, students’ scientific imagination, students’ scientific concept formation and students’ understanding of physics concepts. In line with the findings of the study, the educational implications of the findings were highlighted and recommendations were equally made. One of this recommendation is; Physics teachers, the Authors and Publishers of physics textbooks should take illustrations by models beyond their physical limitations to involve application of physics concepts learnt into phenomena that students observe and experience around them. Finally, Physics teachers were encouraged to help in fostering conceptual understanding of physics concepts in physics students using scientific explanation of phenomenon, scientific imagination and scientific concept formation.