Applying Peer Instruction to Teaching Physics in Grade 7: Impact on Student Achievement and Misconceptions
Аннотация
Considering the challenges students face in learning physics, exploring the use of peer instruction in primary school could provide teachers with a valuable new teaching strategy. This research encompassed teaching the topics Balance and Energy, with the aim of examining the impact of peer instruction on student achievement and its role in reducing misconceptions. The respondents were 132 Grade 7 students (13 years old) from two primary schools in Subotica, Republic of Serbia. A pedagogical experiment was conducted with an experimental and control group, using a pretest-posttest design. Statistical analysis included the Mann-Whitney U test, independent samples t-test, paired samples t-test, and calculation of n-gain and the percentage of students understanding the concepts. The results showed that the application of peer instruction leads to better student achievement (the t-test results showed a significant difference between the experimental and control groups at the end of the pedagogical experiment, t = –3.86, p < 0.001), however does not spontaneously lead to a reduction in misconceptions (Man-Whitney U test showed no significant difference in misconceptions between groups after the pedagogical experiment, U = 721.50, p = 0.432). Additionally, this teaching method is equally effective in fostering deeper learning and engagement for both genders.
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