Investigation of the secondary education students' conceptual understanding levels and attitudes towards force and motion

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the 9th, 10th and 11th grade of secondary education students' conceptual understanding levels and attitudes regarding Force and Motion and the change according to the variables of gender and class level. The research sample is composed of 110 students in a state school in Ankara. 'Force Concept Inventory Test' and 'Attitude Scale towards Force and Motion' were used as data collection tools in the research in which the descriptive method was used. Results of the research, it was seen that the students' conceptual understanding levels regarding this concept were low. The class level were investigated, both the conceptual understanding levels and attitudes of the 9th grade students were observed to be in better level in terms of mean scores than the levels of the others. Conceptual understanding levels of 9th grade students differ meaningfully when compared with other grades. There were meaningful differences in favor of the males in the change of the students' conceptual understanding levels regarding Force and Motion according to gender. There were meaningful differences regarding the attitude between the 9th and 11th grade students and these differences were in favor of the males. Attitude scores of the 10th grade students did not change according to the factor of gender. It was revealed that there was a meaningful relationship at a medium level in a positive way between the students' conceptual understanding levels and attitudes regarding Force and Motion without making any discrimination at the class level.