Active learning of buoyancy: An effective way to change students' alternative conceptions about floating and sinking

Abstract

We present research into the effects of traditional teaching and an applied active learning model to overcome students' alternative conceptions on floating and sinking with a sample of 153 thirteen-year-old students in Serbia. An overview of the most important properties of the experimental model of active learning based on the IBSE approach is given. The results show significant differences in achievements between the control and the experimental group: the average normalized gain was 0.84±0.21 for experimental group and 0.04±0.25 for the control group, which points to the need for adoption of modern constructivist view on learning within the teaching process.