THE CHANGES OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ CONCEPTIONS OF SCIENCE CONCEPTS

Abstract

Contemporary secondary science education is characterised by a greater inclination towards the constructivist paradigm of education and the development of inquiry-oriented teaching. The basic principle of this paradigm is the dynamic modification of preconceptions towards the desired level given by the school curriculum. This places particular importance on identifying the level of students’ preconceptions and on uncovering any misconceptions. Since preconceptions are an individual characteristic of the learner, preconceptions can also be expected to be modified over time due to societal changes. The research is based on a semi-longitudinal study to find out what changes in the level of learners’ preconceptions occurred between 2003 and 2023. The level of preconceptions was monitored in three basic dimensions: cognitive, affective, and the dimension of structuring. A total of 10 concepts from the field of science education in secondary school were selected. The research study involved 103 respondents in 2003 and 104 respondents in 2023, all 12–13 years old. The results show substantial increases in the level of preconceptions in all three dimensions studied. This reflects both societal changes in recent years and a change in attitudes towards science education.