Students' conceptions of forces: Similarities and differences among grade six and grade ten students

• Main Author: Ronda, May R.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2015
• Subjects: Force and energy; Physics
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/5080
• Institution: De La Salle University

This study identified the grade six and grade ten students conceptions of force. The student's conceptions were grouped into different categories noting the similarities and differences in the conceptions between groups. The two groups of respondents of this study were fifteen sixth graders and fifteen tenth graders from a public school in Quezon City. They were of varying scholastic abilities as gauged from their academic grades in the previous year. Results showed that both groups of students have many different conceptions of force. The grade six students had simple answers that belong to one category only while the grade ten students had more complex answers that belong to different categories. In situations with persons and inanimate objects, most of the students from both groups had conceptions relating force to the person. The person is thought of as the source of force has the ability to use it, and to transfer it. In situations involving only inanimate objects, both groups of students had varying conceptions. They have conceptions relating force to motion, light, position of the object and ability of the object to support itself or other objects. Only one grade six student in the high scholastic ability group identified gravity as a force while ten grade 10 students mentioned it. Results also showed that the scholastic abilities of students were not relevant to the kind of conceptions of force they had.