The Dimensional Analysis of educational materials can clarify errors and misconceptions concerning children's comprehension of scientific concepts. 158 problems on electric and magnetic concepts were constructed for primary school children through first to sixth grade, based on the information generated by the Dimensional Analysis. Responses to these problems by 5585 pubils were analyzed for errors and misconceptions each grade level. Among the interesting findings were these: 30% of first grade pupils believed that a magnet should attract golden or silver coloured paper and 45% believed that magnetic force should be weaker in water; 33% of second grade pupils thought that a twisted conducting wire should make light darker; 30% of third grade pupils thought that after a magnet was broken into two pieces, each piece of the magnet should have only one magnetic pole; 55% of fourth grade pupils thought that brightness of electric bulbs should vary as a result of battery capacity; 82% of fifth grade pupils thought that quantity of heat should be dependent upon numbers of lead wires and 40% of sixth grade pupils thought that a core made by winding aluminium wire and connected to an electric current should act as a magnet. Prescriptions for overcoming these errors and misconceptions in pupils were proposed.

View full abstract

The same test items on electricity were given to the groups of industrial and normal high school students which appeared to be the same level of abilities. The differences of correct answers were compared on each item at the three levels of grade for two kinds of school. The differences are discussed on the basis of curriculum differences on electricity for industrial and normal high schools.

View full abstract

This report describes the effect of teachers' activities in two classrooms on learning styles of fifth grade pupils. After one year of instruction and analytical observation, the change of four learning styles, that is, learning through practical activities, logical thinking, concrete observations and learning styles not characterized by any other three, are attributed to the difference of teaching styles of two teachers. Through analysis from observation, questionaire and interview with the teachers, the activities in the classes and the views of the two teachers are compared. It has been revealed that the learning styles are influenced by the way in which learners' responses are accepted, a teacher's perception of pupils individually and in groups and a teacher's preference for pupils having certain specific learning styles. In the class taught by the younger teacher with 3 year experience, logical thinking is prefered to other learning styles, so pupils having similar learning style to his own are accepted more positively. The number of pupils having learning style not characterized by any other three mentioned above has increased. In the class taught by the teacher with 27 year experience, the pupils having different learning style are equally praised, so the number of pupils having various learning styles has increased and those having not characterized learning styles has decreased.

View full abstract