SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION OF PHENOMENON, IMAGINATION AND CONCEPT FORMATION AS CORRELATES OF STUDENTS’ UNDERSTANDING OF PHYSICS CONCEPTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE
APPROVAL PAGE
CERTIFICATION
DEDICATION
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES
LIST OF FIGURES
ABSTRACT

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Statement of the Problem
Purpose of the Study
Significance of the Study
Scope of the Study
Research Questions
Hypotheses

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
Conceptual Framework
Overview of Scientific Explanation of Phenomenon
Overview of Scientific Imagination
Overview of Scientific Concept Formation
Students Understanding of Physics Concepts
Theoretical Framework
Piaget’s Cognitive Theory
Prototype Theory
Bruner’s Theory
Constructivist Theory
Empirical Studies
Related Studies on Scientific Explanation of phenomenon
Related Studies on Scientific Imagination
Related Studies on Scientific Concept Formation
Related Studies on Students Understanding of Physics Concepts
Summary of Literature Reviewed

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHOD
Design of the Study
Area of the Study
Population of the Study
Sample and Sampling Techniques
Instrument for Data Collection
Validation of Instruments
Reliability of the Instrument
Method of Data Collection
Method of Data Analysis

CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA
Research Question One
Hypothesis One
Research Question Two
Hypothesis Two
Research Question Three
Hypothesis Three
Research Question Four
Hypothesis Four
Research Question Five
Hypothesis Five
Research Question Six
Hypothesis Six
Research Question Seven
Hypothesis Seven
Summary of the Findings

CHAPTER FIVE:  DISCUSSION OF RESULTS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Discussions of findings
The Relationship between Students’ Scientific Explanation of Phenomenon and Students’ Understanding of Physics Concepts
The Relationship between Students’ Scientific Imagination and Students’ Understanding of Physics Concepts
The Relationship between Students’ Scientific Concept Formation and Students’ Understanding of Physics Concepts
The Relationship among Students’ Scientific Explanation of Phenomenon, Students’ Scientific Imagination and Students’ Understanding of Physics Concepts
The Relationship among Students’ Scientific Imagination, Students’ Scientific Concept Formation and Students’ Understanding of Physics Concepts
The Relationship among Students’ Scientific Explanation of Phenomenon, Students’ Scientific Concept Formation and Students’ Understanding of Physics Concepts
The Relationship among Scientific Explanation of Phenomenon, Scientific Imagination, Scientific Concept Formation and Students’ Understanding of Physics Concepts
Conclusion
Implications of the Study
Recommendations
Limitations of the Study
Suggestions for Further Study
Summary of the Study
REFERENCES

ABSTRACT
The main purpose of this study was to ascertain if relationship exists between each of scientific explanation of phenomenon, imagination, concept formation and students’ understanding of physics concepts. To guide the study, seven research questions were posed and seven hypotheses were equallyformulated and tested at 5% probability level. A correlational research design was adopted for this study. The study was carried out in Government owned secondary schools in Akure Education Zone of Ondo State. The sample size for this study consists of 385 Senior Secondary III Physics Students for the 2015/2016 academic session. This sample was drawn using the simple random sampling method to select thirty schools out of the fifty three schools contained in the population. Proportionate Stratified Random Sampling was used to select Senior Secondary III physics students present in the selected samples. Four instruments were used for the study, namely: Students’ Scientific Explanation of Phenomenon Test (SSEPT), Students’ Scientific Imagination Scale (SSIS), Students’ Scientific Concept Formation Test (SSCFT), and Students’ Understanding of Physics Concept Test (SUPCT). Students’ Explanation of Phenomenon Test (SSEPT) and Students’ Understanding of Physics Concept Test (SUPCT) were reliable using kendel tau. The internal consistency indices obtained were 0.81 and 0.86 respectively. The reliability of Students’ Scientific Imagination Scale (SSIS) was determined using Cronbach alpha formula and the reliability index obtained was 0.85. While, the reliability index of SSCFT was determined using Kudder-Richardson 20 (K-R20) Formula. With this formula, the internal consistency index of the instrument was calculated to be 0.82. The research questions were answered using Pearson Product Moment Correlation and the Null hypotheses were tested using Multiple-Regression analysis at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study were proffered among others that there exists a direct positive relationship among students’ scientific explanation of phenomenon, students’ scientific imagination, scientific concept formation and students’ understanding of physics concepts. Additionally, there was a statistically significant relationship among students’ scientific explanation of phenomenon, students’ scientific imagination, students’ scientific concept formation and students’ understanding of physics concepts. In line with the findings of the study, the educationalimplications of the findings were highlighted and recommendations were equally made. One of this recommendation is; Physics teachers, the Authors and Publishers of physics textbooks should take illustrations by models beyond their physical limitations to involve application of physics concepts learnt into phenomena that students observe and experience around them. Finally, Physics teachers were encouraged to help in fostering conceptual understanding of physics concepts in physics students using scientific explanation of phenomenon, scientific imagination and scientific concept formation.

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Science and Technology are two basic concepts which cannot be separated from one another. Science and technology in the view of Ezenwa and Gambari (2011) are important components of the knowledge to be given to citizens irrespective of tribe/ethnicity, creed or gender. Jegede and Awodun (2013) claimed that science and technology is incomplete without proper understanding of basic principles of physics. Physics is one of the science subjects taught at the Senior Secondary School Level of Nigeria educational system. Hence, the training of science students to acquire proper understanding of basic principles of physics as well as its applications becomes the aim of physics teaching and learning in thesecondary school.

In general, the objectives of physics teaching as stipulated in the New Senior Secondary Physics Curriculum by the Federal Ministry of Education (FME, 2008: ii) are to:

i.        provide basic literacy in physics for functional living in the society;

ii.      acquire basic concepts and principles of physics as preparation for further studies.

iii.    acquire essential skills and attitude as a preparation for technological application of physics; and

iv.    stimulate and enhance creativity.

In  an  attempt  to  achieve  these  objectives  especially  objectives  ii  and  iii,  physics

teaching is carried out by various teaching approaches and methods. Teaching methods are the principles, strategies, techniques and ways a teacher employs to maximize and facilitate classroom interaction (Mkpa, 2009). It is also a means of conveyance of facts, decoding messages that eventually result in the realization of the stated educational objectives. 

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Item Type: Postgraduate Material  |  Attribute: 136 pages  |  Chapters: 1-5
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