DEVELOPING, IMPLEMENTING, AND TESTING A CONCEPTUAL CHANGE TEXT ABOUT RELATIVITY

Abstract

The objective of this study is to develop a tested conceptual change text (CCT) which can be useful in guiding the students to reorganize their misconceptions only by reading a text. To this end, a CCT and a traditional text (TT) about relativity were developed. As data collecting tool, simulation aided semi-structured interviews were used. Research sample was composed of the two different ninth grade physics classes. Students of the Class A read the CCT as experimental group and the students of the Class B read the TTas control group. 12 students were chosen as interviewee by comparing the differences between pre- and post- achievement tests. Content analysis of the interviews revealed that all of the students who read CCT gave correct answers to interview questions and the target misconception could not be found in their conceptual schema. On the other hand, 4 of the 6 students reading the TT had the target misconception in their conceptual schema even though they gave the right answers to the questions. As a conclusion, it was determined in this study that the CCT was more effective than the TT in reorganizing the conceptual schema of the students about relativity.