ENERGY CONCEPTIONS AMONG SCIENCE STUDENTS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Emmanuel Ifeanyi Orji
Science Education Department,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
&
Zudonu Onisoman Chuks
Federal College of Education
Omoku, River State
Abstract
The study- energy conceptions among science students for sustainable development was guided by two research questions and one hypothesis. Descriptive survey was adopted for the study. The study was carried out in Science Education Department, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Five hundred and sixteen students comprised the population of the study and two hundred and twenty five students comprised the sample for the study. That is 80 first year students, 88 second year students, 28 third year students, and 29 final year students. The sample was selected using proportionate stratified random sampling technique to sample the students across levels(100-400 levels). A 15-item instrument titled “Energy Conception Questionnaire” (ECQ) was self developed by the researchers to illicit responses on students’ level conception of energy. The reliability of the instrument was obtained using Kunder-Richardson 20 with reliability index of 0.80 obtained. Four research assistants, with the researchers helped in the distribution and retrieval of the instrument. Frequency and percentages were used to answer the research questions and hypothesis tested using Chi-square. Findings revealed that students misconceived energy as something tangible or product instead of a process, for instance 90% of the students agreed that energy is like in a man’s muscle; energy is something like fuel, and food (90.2%); and when energy is transformed, its amount changes (64.4%). Findings equally revealed that gender has no influence statistically on students’ conception of energy among others. Finally, the researchers recommend among others that science teachers should identify students’ misconceptions in a particular topic first before going into the teaching proper.
Key words: Sustainable development, energy, and gender