Primary teacher students' understanding of electromagnetic induction

• In the present study, a teaching sequence concerning electromagnetic induction was introduced to 24 primary teacher students divided into six groups, in order to provide the students with deeper knowledge about how kinetic energy can be transformed into electricity. The aim of this study was to investigate to what extent these teacher students, developed an understanding of electromagnetic induction, without using a mathematical language. The teaching sequence consisted of a group discussion, a practical exercise, computer simulations and a final didactical group reflection. We used a context rich problem, where students were asked to describe how a wind power plant works. During these discussions, the students realised that some kind of generator was needed, but they did not understand its function and concluded that they as teachers only needed to know that it gives rise to an energy transformation. The practical exercise contributed to a deeper understanding of the observed phenomenon, even though students’ ability to structure their inquiry varied a lot. The computer simulations turned out to be a valuable complement to the practical exercise. The practical experiment, together with the simulation, helped the students to understand how electrical current is produced. Based on our analysis, we can see how the different parts of the teaching activity, together but in different ways, help the students to develop their understanding and view of electromagnetic induction. The students’ final group reflections show how important it is to have good physics content knowledge to be able to value and take advantage of the children’s curiosity.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap -- Didaktik (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences -- Didactics (hsv//eng)

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