Pre-service science teachers’ processes of establishing simple electric circuits

Abstract

The aim of this research is to identify pre-service science teachers’ experiences during the simple electrical circuit establishment process, points they were challenged with, and developed strategies they used against the challenges they were experimenting with this process. In this study, embedded single case study, which is one of the qualitative research methods, was used. The case was two weeks of tertiary level Physics Laboratory-2 course, each lasted 1, 5 hours long. 16 female freshman students participated in the study voluntarily. In the laboratory, the students performed their experiments in four groups. The laboratory environment was recorded with one camera, and each group had one audio recorder. The video recordings and sound recordings were then synchronized and evaluated together, descriptive analysis was conducted. In the first week, necessary experimental materials were explained in detail and students made serial and parallel circuits with two resistances, measurements with ammeter and voltmeter. In the second week, students were required to set up different circuits which can be done with 3 resistors, and to make current and potential difference measurements in these circuits. The results of this research were presented with three main headings. First, the students’ processes of establishing simple electrical circuits were described by emphasizing the differences among the groups. Later, students’ difficulties in the process of establishing simple electrical circuits were identified. Finally, examples were given on the strategies of the students to solve the difficulties they were experiencing. It was concluded that systematic procedural techniques like following circuit diagrams or repeated comparisons of diagrams with the circuit may provide productive habits to reduce errors in the process of establishing simple electric circuits.