ERIC Number: EJ1464068
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-2065-1430
Available Date: 0000-00-00
The Effects of Constructivist Physics Lessons and Laboratories on Students' Academic Success
Mihail Calalb; Irina Zelenschi
Acta Didactica Napocensia, v17 n2 p99-111 2024
This study examines the impact of constructivist physics lessons and laboratory activities on middle and high school students' academic success. Utilizing the constructivist learning model, which emphasizes active student engagement, the research was conducted at Hyperion Theoretical High School in Chi?inau, Moldova, involving 195 students across grades 6, 8, and 10. The study finds that integrating constructivist teaching methods -- such as the 5E model, Flipped Classroom, and Early Physics Approach -- positively influences students' academic performance at the middle and high school level. The results indicate a significant positive correlation between students' performance in laboratory work and their end-of-chapter evaluations. This highlights the importance of hands-on lab work in reinforcing learning and improving academic performance. The research reveals that, in middle school, girls perform better than boys in lab work and evaluations, but this difference diminishes in high school. The study suggests that constructivist lab work and assigned roles in group activities help reduce the gender gap in physics. The study indicates that physics is perceived as less masculine than traditionally thought, based on performance data and gender-related stereotypes. Despite some differences in performance, the overall constructivist environment in physics labs does not contribute to a negative experience based on gender.
Descriptors: Constructivism (Learning), Physics, Science Education, Science Laboratories, Science Achievement, Middle School Students, High School Students, Active Learning, Foreign Countries, Grade 6, Grade 8, Grade 10, Flipped Classroom, Gender Differences, Age Differences, Public Schools, Suburban Schools, Intervention, Teaching Methods
Babes-Bolyai University. Kogainiceanu 1, Cluj-Napoca, 400084 Romania. e-mail: submit_adn@yahoo.com; Web site: http://adn.teaching.ro
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education; High Schools; Elementary Education; Grade 6; Intermediate Grades; Grade 8; Grade 10
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Moldova
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A