The present paper aims at investigating the impact of a teaching intervention for electrical circuits, based on the constructivist approach to learning, with the engagement of students in science and engineering practices, on the structure of primary school students’ written arguments. Furthermore, the comparison between the learning outcomes (regarding the structure of students’ arguments) of this teaching intervention and the respective learning outcomes of another teaching intervention for electrical circuits, which is based on the school textbook primary school students in Greece are taught, is pursued. Instructional material on electrical circuits was developed based on the constructivist approach to learning, with the engagement of students in science and engineering practices, and was implemented with 34 students aged 11 years (experimental group). In addition, according to the school science textbook, which is based on the Guided Research Teaching Model, electrical circuits were taught to 38 students aged 11 years (control group). Data collection was carried out through a questionnaire completed by the students before and after the two teaching interventions. Data analysis used a scale of two-level classified criteria. It emerged that the teaching intervention implemented in the experimental group significantly contributed to improving the structure of students’ written arguments. By contrast, the structure of written arguments developed by students belonging to the control group was not significantly improved.
Author Biographies
Michael Skoumios, Department of Primary Education, School of Humanities, University of the Aegean, Rhodes, Greece
Associate Professor Michael Skoumios obtained a first degree in physics from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in 1987, a second degree in education from the University of Aegean in 1992, and his PhD in science education from the Hellenic Open University in 2005. His research interests include science concept learning and teaching science in elementary and secondary schools. He is currently teaching science education in the Department of Primary Education of the University of the Aegean.
Constantinia Balia, Department of Primary Education
School of Humanities
University of the Aegean
Elementary school teacher Constantinia Balia obtained a first degree in education from the University of Thessaly in 2004, a second degree in chemistry from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in 2014 and a master’s degree in education from the Hellenic Open University in 2019. His research interests include teaching science in elementary school. He is currently teaching in an elementary school in Greece.
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