Research Article
Two-tier Multiple-choice Questionnaires to Detect the Students’ Misconceptions about Heat and Temperature
Abdeljalil Métioui 
,
Louis Trudel
Article Metrics
Views
774
Downloads
544
Citations
Crossref
0
Métioui A, Trudel L. Two-tier multiple-choice questionnaires to detect the students’ misconceptions about heat and temperature. . 2021;6(1):23-34. doi: 10.12973/ejmse.2.1.23
Métioui, A., & Trudel, L. (2021). Two-tier multiple-choice questionnaires to detect the students’ misconceptions about heat and temperature. European Journal of Mathematics and Science Education, 6(1), 23-34. https://doi.org/10.12973/ejmse.2.1.23
Métioui Abdeljalil, and Louis Trudel. "Two-tier Multiple-choice Questionnaires to Detect the Students’ Misconceptions about Heat and Temperature," European Journal of Mathematics and Science Education 6, no. 1 (2021): 23-34. https://doi.org/10.12973/ejmse.2.1.23
Métioui, A & Trudel, 2021, 'Two-tier multiple-choice questionnaires to detect the students’ misconceptions about heat and temperature', European Journal of Mathematics and Science Education, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 23-34. Métioui, Abdeljalil, and Louis Trudel. "Two-tier Multiple-choice Questionnaires to Detect the Students’ Misconceptions about Heat and Temperature." European Journal of Mathematics and Science Education, vol. 6, no. 1, 2021, pp. 23-34, https://doi.org/10.12973/ejmse.2.1.23.
Abstract
This study aimed to develop a two-tiers diagnostic test to assess the high school, junior high school, and elementary pre-service teachers about the heat and the temperature concepts in a general physics course. There are two tiers in this test: The first tier composed of six items consisting of multiple-choice questions related to the heat and the temperature, including the correct answer. The second tier of each item contains reasons for students choosing their answer to the first tier. The second tier included four or five responses, one of which is a correct conceptual understanding. The wrong answers, also called distractors, were based on students’ misconceptions. To this end, 128 pre-service teachers from Quebec in Canada completed a pencil-paper questionnaire of sixty minutes duration composing of six questions (four open-ended questions and two multiple choice questions with justifications). As illustrations, the following conceptual understandings have been identified in our qualitative analysis of the data collected: 1. The change of state of the matter does not require a constant temperature; 2. The temperature is a measure in degrees to indicate the level of heat of an object or person; 3. The mercury contained in a thermometer expands when it is heated so that the particles which constitute it expand; and 4. The sensation of cold (or warm) is related to the difference in temperature.
Keywords: Conceptual understanding, first tier test, pre-service teachers, second tier multiple-choice questionnaires.
References
Alwan, A. A. (2011). Misconception of heat and temperature among physics students. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 12, 600–614. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.02.074
Anderson, A. (1980). Some aspects of children’s understanding of boiling point. In W. F. Archenhold, R. Driver, A. Orton, & C. Wood-Robinson (Eds.), Cognitive Development in Science and Mathematics: Proceedings of an international Seminar (pp. 17-21). Center for Studies in Science Education, University of Leeds.
Bar, V., & Travis, A. S. (1991). Children’s views concerning phase changes. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 28(4), 363-382. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.3660280409
Chandrasegaran, A. L., Treagust, D. F., & Mocerino, M. (2007). The development of a two-tier multiple-choice diagnostic instrument for evaluating secondary school students’ ability to describe and explain chemical reactions using multiple levels of representation. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 8(3), 293-307. https://doi.org/10.1039/B7RP90006F
Carlton, A. (2000). Teaching about heat and temperature. Physics Education, 35(2), 101-105. https://doi.org/10.1088/0031-9120/35/2/304
Chu, H. E., Treagust, D. F., Yeo, S., & Zadnik, M. (2012). Evaluation of students’ understanding of thermal concepts in everyday contexts. International Journal of Science Education, 34(10), 1509-1534.
Coppens, N., Rebmann, G., & Munier, V. (2009). Suivre l’évolution des conceptions des élèves en mécanique: développement et évaluation d’exercises informatisés [Follow the evolution of students' conceptions of mechanics: Development and evaluation of computerized exercises]. Teaching/ Didaskalia, (35), 37-58. https://doi.org/10.4267/2042/31136
Clough, E., & Driver, R. (1985). Secondary student’s conceptions of the conduction of heat; bringing together scientific and personal views. Physics Education, 20(4), 176-182. https://doi.org/10.1088/0031-9120/20/4/309
Chu, H. E., Treagust, D. F., Yeo, S., & Zadnik, M. (2012). Evaluation of Students’ Understanding of Thermal Concepts in Everyday Contexts. International Journal of Science Education, 34(10), 1509‑1534. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2012.657714
Duit, R. (2006). Bibliography: Students’ and teachers’ conceptions and science education, Kiel, Germany. Institute for Science Education. http://www.ipn.uni-iel.de/aktuell/stcse/stcse.html
Duit, R., & Treagust, D. (2003). Conceptual change: A powerful framework for improving science teaching learning. International Journal of Science Education, 25(6), 671-688. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500690305016
Erickson, G. (1980). Children's viewpoints of heat: A second look. Science Education, 64(3), 323-336. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.3730640307
Gregg, V. R., Winer, G. A., Cottrell, J. E., Hedman, K. E., & Fournier, J. S. (2001). The persistence of a misconception about vision after educational interventions. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 8(3), 622-626. https://doi.org/10.3758/bf03196199
Gurcay, D., & Gulbas, E. (2015). Development of three-tier heat, temperature, and internal energy diagnostic test. Research in Science & Technological Education, 33(2), 197-217.
Gurel, D. K., Eryılmaz, A., & McDermott, L. C. (2015). A review and comparison of diagnostic instruments to identify students’ misconceptions in science. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education, 11(5), 989-1008. https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2015.1369a
Harrison, A. G., Grayson, D. J., & Treagust, D. F. (1999).Investigating a grade 11 student’s evolving conceptions of heat and temperature. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 36(1), 55-87. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1098-2736(199901)36:1<55::AID-TEA5>3.0.CO;2-P
Hestenes, D., & Halloun, I. (1995). Interpreting the force concept inventory. The Physics Teacher, 33(8), 502–506. https://doi.org/10.1119/1.2344278
Hewson, P. W., & Hewson, M. G. (1988). An appropriate conception of teaching science: A view from studies of science learning. Science Education, 72(5), 597-614. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.3730720506
Masson, L. (2001). Instructional practices for conceptual change in science domains. Learning and Instruction, 11(4-5), 259-263. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0959-4752(00)00032-3
Métioui, A., & Trudel, L. (2020). Unipolar reasoning in electricity: Developing a digital two-tier diagnostic test. WSEAS Transactions on Electronics, 11, 85-92. https://doi.org/10.37394/232017.2020.11.11
Peşman, H., & Eryilmaz, A. (2010). Development of a three-tier test to assess misconceptions about simple electric circuits. The Journal of Educational Research, 103(3), 208-222. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220670903383002
Posner, G. J., Strike, K. A., Hewson, P. W., & Gertzog, W. A. (1982). Accommodation of a Scientific Conception: Toward a Theory of Conceptual change. Science Education, 66(2), 211-227. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.3730660207
Reiner, M., Slotta, J. D., Chi, M. T. H., & Resnick, L. B. (2000). Naive Physics Reasoning: A Commitment to Substance-based Conceptions. Cognition and Instruction, 18(1), 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1207/S1532690XCI1801_01
Rodriguez, M. C. (2016). Selected-response item development. In S. Lane, M. Raymond, & T. Haladyna (Eds.), Handbook of Test Development (2nd ed., pp. 259-271).Routledge.
Romer, R. H. (2001). Heat is not noun. American Journal of Physics, 69(2), 107-109. https://doi.org/10.1119/1.1341254
Sözbilir, M. (2003). A review of selected literature on students’ misconceptions of heat and temperature. Boğaziçi University Journal of Education, 20(1), 25-41.
Shin, J., Guo, Q., & Gierl, M. J. (2019). Multiple-choice item distractor development using topic modeling approaches. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 825. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00825
Tiberghien, A. (2003). Des connaissances naïves au savoir scientifique [From naive knowledge to scientific knowledge]. In M. Kail (Ed.), Les sciences cognitives et l'école [Cognitive science and school] (pp. 353-413). Presses Universitaires de France (PUF).
Tüysüz, C. (2009). Development of two-tier diagnostic instrument and assess students’ understanding in chemistry. Scientific Research and Essay, 4(6), 626-631.
Urban, H. (2017). Sequential reasoning in electricity: Developing and using a three-tier multiple choice test. Science in Education/ Scientia in Educatione, 8(Special Issue), 285-292. https://doi.org/10.14712/18047106.755
Yeo, S., & Zadnik, M. (2001). Introductory thermal concept evaluation: Assessing students’ understanding. The PhysicsTeacher, 39(8), 496–504. https://doi.org/10.1119/1.1424603
