The Effect of a Brain-Based Teaching Method on Conceptual Change in Students' Understanding of Electricity

Ali Khalid Ali Bawaneh; Ahmad Nurulazam Md Zain; Salmiza Saleh; Abdul Ghani Kanesan Abdullah

doi:10.51724/ijpce.v4i2.97

Authors

Ali Khalid Ali Bawaneh ChangeAgent for Arab Development and Education Reform
Ahmad Nurulazam Md Zain Universiti Sains Malaysia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5399-2355
Salmiza Saleh Universiti Sains Malaysia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4854-2859
Abdul Ghani Kanesan Abdullah Universiti Sains Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51724/ijpce.v4i2.97

Keywords:

Conceptual change, Brain-based teaching method, Students' levels of learning process, Misconceptions regarding electricity

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which a Brain-Based Teaching Method could correct misconceptions and change eighth grade Jordanian students’ understanding of concepts of electricity. The randomly selected sample (N=357) included students from the Bani Kenanah Directorate of Education in Jordan. A brain-based teaching method was used to instruct 183 students (98 male and 85 female), while conventional teaching method was used to instruct 174 students (82 male and 92 female). Two instruments were developed: a multiple-choice test of the misconceptions of electricity commonly held by eighth grade students and an inventory that classified participants based on students’ levels of learning process. Data analyses used the SPSS software package to perform a 2-way ANCOVA and post hoc tests with the split file technique at an α level of 0.05. The results indicated that the brain-based teaching method surpassed conventional method in correcting misconceptions and changing students’ concepts of electricity. However, the results also demonstrated that meaningful learners outperformed in-between and rote learners with regard to conceptual change and that rote learners exhibited the poorest performance. Study results, which were consistent with earlier findings, suggest that curriculum developers should take characteristics of brain learning into account in developing curricula and textbooks and those instructors should consider brain characteristics when planning science lessons.

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