The need for change in elementary school teacher training: the case of the energy concept as an example

Abstract

Summary Do students in pre‐service training programmes as elementary school teachers hold the correct scientific views, which will eventually allow them to plan and implement instructional strategies which, in turn, will lead their future pupils to achieve a scientific concept of energy? The results of a cross‐college age study dealing with this issue is discussed in this paper. The energy conceptions of the students were analysed by means of a two‐part written questionnaire, presented to them during the first week of the second semester. The most important findings of this study can be summarized as follows; students in pre‐service training as elementary teachers: (1) hold a number of alternative conceptual frameworks when describing physical situations, rather than the accepted scientific concept; (2) mostly think that energy is a concrete entity; (3) mostly do not accept the idea of energy conservation; (4) mostly do not accept the idea of energy degradation; (5) are ambiguous in their recognition of different types of energy; and (6) mostly confuse the concepts of energy and force.