AN ANALYSIS OF PRODUCTION ABOUT STUDENTS’ UNDERSTANDING OF ELECTRIC CURRENT AND VOLTAGE IN THE LOWER SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

Abstract

For the purpose of clarifying students’ logic that forms the background for the understanding of the concepts of electric current and voltage in the lower secondary school, the authors have surveyed their understanding, and extracted their fundamental response patterns. Finally, the authors tried the analysis by production that was based on “if~, then~” formulation, from the result of these analysis, the following findings are obtained. (1) It was difficult for them to understand the concepts of electric current and voltage, but their responses had some constant patterns. (2) Some thought of the electric-current as “dynamic” system that both electric current and voltage were changeable at each point, and the others thought of it as “static system” that they are constant. (3) About the understanding of the concepts of voltage, they had the same basis of judgement as their understanding of electric current. (4) The extracted production-systems indicated the children’s logic in problem solving.