Counterintuitive Dynamics Test

Abstract

One way to fascinate, engage, arouse curiosity, motivate, and stimulate intellectual development in learning scientific concepts is to use counterintuitive questions. These questions make students aware of the inadequacies of their own thinking by exposing them to situations whose outcomes are inconsistent with what they would expect. In this study, a counterintuitive dynamics test (CIDT) is developed and administered to high school students along with the force concept inventory (FCI). After expert reviews, the initial version of the test consisting of 39 questions was administered to 87 students as a pilot study. After item analysis, a final version of 30 questions was developed; its internal consistency reliability coefficient was calculated as 0.826. The CIDT and FCI were administered to 229 students from 9 different high schools in Turkey. The results indicated that while in FCI students were mostly affected by everyday experiences and while in CIDT by carelessness and a superficial approach. Average scores for both tests were roughly equal and low. The results showed that the CIDT is a new test that measures another dimension of dynamic concepts and should be used along with the FCI.