Prospective primary school teachers' perceptions on boiling and freezing

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the perceptions of prospective primary school teachers on the physical state of water during the processes of boiling and freezing. There were three stages in the investigation: First, open-ended questions concerning the boiling and freezing of water were given to two groups of prospective primary school teachers (Group-A had science background; Group-B had non-science background). Second, the participants' answers were examined and analyzed. Finally, those participants who had misunderstandings were given semi-structured interviews to have a deeper insight into their perceptions. The results showed that the participants in Group-B held more misunderstandings about boiling and freezing than Group-A. A further examination of the participants' perceptions showed that the misunderstandings were based on participants' daily life experiences related to an inadequate knowledge of science. This paper discusses the answers received to the questions and interviews and makes, implications for equipping primary school teachers with scientific knowledge.