Enhancing third-grade students’ academic achievement and scientific attitudes through experimental demonstrations on alternative energy in Arab-community schools

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of experimental demonstrations on the academic achievement, conceptual understanding, and attitudes toward science of third-grade students, with a focus on alternative energy topics. Conducted in an Arab-community middle school in Northern Israel, the research involved 120 students, divided equally into an experimental group (n = 60) and a control group (n = 60). The experimental group received instruction through hands-on demonstrations related to solar, wind, hydropower, biomass, and geothermal energy, while the control group was taught using traditional methods. Employing a mixed-methods design, data were collected through academic tests, attitudinal questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews. The results showed that students in the experimental group achieved significantly higher post-intervention scores (mean [M] = 82.62, standard deviation [SD] = 12.93) compared to the control group (M = 71.28, SD = 15.06), with a statistically significant difference (t [118] = -2.58, p < .01). Additionally, the experimental group demonstrated a significantly greater understanding of alternative energy concepts (M = 3.27, SD = 0.42) than the control group (M = 2.82, SD = 0.53), (t [58] = -3.42, p < .001). Attitudinal measures also favored the experimental group (M = 3.34, SD = 0.44) over the control group (M = 3.09, SD = 0.64), with a significant difference (t [118] = -2.12, p < .05). These results advocate for integrating demonstration-based teaching to enhance science education outcomes, particularly in sustainability topics.