Potential difference and current in simple electric circuits: A study of students’ concepts

Cohen, Ralph L.; Eylon, Bat‐Sheva; Ganiel, U.

doi:10.1119/1.13226

Cited by 246 publications

(169 citation statements)

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“…Examples of fundamental student misconceptions that have been observed include that: current is consumed in circuits [9], current divides into two equal parts at all circuit junctions [10], batteries maintain a fixed current regardless of load [11], batteries in parallel provide more voltage [12], and students have problems identifying the important topological aspects of circuits [13]. In addition to qualitative misconceptions regarding the behavior of DC resistive electric circuits, students often make quantitative circuit analysis mistakes, including: incorrectly labeling voltage polarities and current directions, simplifying circuits incorrectly, formulating and solving node voltage equations incorrectly, formulating and solving mesh currents incorrectly, and applying and solving via superposition incorrectly.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of an Early Three Phase Approach to Electric Circuit Instruction

Turner

2017

Int. J. Eng. Ped.

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Abstract-This paper presents a novel approach to the study of electric circuits: utilizing three phase electric power systems to introduce students to the techniques of circuit analysis beyond Kirchhoff's and Ohm's Laws. The efficacy of the pedagogy is evaluated by comparison of student performance on DC circuits assessment quiz pre and post intervention and by comparison to circuit analysis methods used by experts. Also discussed is how the curriculum affects student's qualitative and quantitative conceptions of the behavior of voltage and current in DC resistive circuits.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of an Early Three Phase Approach to Electric Circuit Instruction

Turner

2017

Int. J. Eng. Ped.

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“…However, students often focus only on the local effects, and tend to neglect the global effects of dynamic processes [1]. For example, Cohen et al [45] found that when students were asked what happens when one part of an electric circuit was altered, 27% of students considered only the local effects of the change and did not think about global changes to the whole circuit. Within the domain of metabolic pathways, explaining the control properties of networks of coupled enzyme-catalyzed reactions in steady state requires systems thinking and a theoretical framework such as metabolic control analysis (e.g.…”

Section: Reason Locally and Globally About The Concept (System Thinking)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Bridging the educational research‐teaching practice gap

Schönborn

Anderson

2008

Biochem Molecular Bio Educ

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The first paper [1] in this two-part miniseries on conceptual understanding discussed expert and novice conceptual knowledge, the multifaceted nature of conceptual understanding, and the cognitive skills essential for constructing it. This second article presents examples of instruments for the assessment and development of five facets of conceptual understanding that require competence in the cognitive skills of mindful memorization, integration, transfer, analogical reasoning, and system thinking. We also argue for the importance of explicitly assessing these facets of conceptual understanding as part of all biochemistry and molecular biology curricula so as to develop expert knowledge in our students.Keywords: Assessment tasks, measuring and developing conceptual understanding, cognitive skills, meaningful learning.The first article [1] in this miniseries on conceptual understanding described how cognitive skills are essential for the construction of expert knowledge. We argued that conceptual understanding and the associated cognitive skills are multifaceted in nature, and that it is necessary to explicitly develop such knowledge and cognitive abilities in our students in order to scaffold them along the novice-expert continuum. In this regard, the following five cognitive skills were considered crucial to the development of knowledge about each scientific concept [1] and to the fostering of meaningful learning in biochemistry and molecular biology students:

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“…(Chu & Lee, 2005;Cohen et al, 1983;Heller & Fineley, 1992;Kim et al, 1990;Küçüközer & Demirci, 2008;Moon & Kwon, 1991;Pardhan & Bano, 2001). The magnitude of the current in the electric circuit with one battery is larger than that in the electric circuit with two batteries in series connection.…”

Section: Learned Conceptmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Elementary School Teachers' Understandings about the Characteristics of Currents according to the Connection Methods of Batteries in Simple Electric Circuits

Hyun¹,

Aekyung²

2014

Elementary Science Education

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The 96 elementary school teachers' the degrees of understandings about the characteristics of the currents according to the connection methods of batteries in simple electric circuits were investigated. In this study, the concepts on the characteristics of currents according to the connection methods of batteries were divided 'the learned concepts' and 'the differentiated concepts'. The characteristics of the currents in the region of the larger resistance of load than the internal resistance of a battery were called the learned concepts, they are taught in the science curriculum. While the characteristics of the currents in the region of the smaller resistance of load than the internal resistance of a battery were called the differentiated concepts, they are not exposed clearly in the science curriculum. The results obtained in this study are as follows: The average score related to the learned concepts was relatively high, while the degree of the teachers' cognitions of the internal resistance of a battery and the resistance of wires were low. Also the average score related to the differentiated concepts was very low because it seems so new to the elementary school teachers. It strongly suggests that the elementary school teachers did not understand meaningfully the characteristics of the currents related to the connections of batteries on the ground of the cognitions of the internal resistances of batteries and the resistances of loads in simple electric circuits. Hence, they might experience difficulties due to the problems occurred in relation to the connections of batteries in the elementary school science lessons.

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Potential difference and current in simple electric circuits: A study of students’ concepts

Cited by 246 publications

References 0 publications

Evaluation of an Early Three Phase Approach to Electric Circuit Instruction

Evaluation of an Early Three Phase Approach to Electric Circuit Instruction

Bridging the educational research‐teaching practice gap

The Elementary School Teachers' Understandings about the Characteristics of Currents according to the Connection Methods of Batteries in Simple Electric Circuits

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