Implementation of Conceptual Change Approach to Improve Learners’ Understanding of Quantitative Chemistry Aspects

Abstract

Implementing a conceptual change approach helps students correct misconceptions and gain a deeper understanding of key quantitative Chemistry concepts, including stoichiometry, chemical equations and substance quantity calculations. For improvement of how learners understood quantitative aspects as measured with chemical change, a conceptual change approach became the centre of inquiry. A case study and qualitative approach were used to collect data from 50 learners and 12 learners. The findings indicate an improvement in learners’ scientific understanding after the administration of a pre-test and a post-test. Concurrently, provided by this study is evidence denting that misconceptions of learners can be facilitated with great conceptual understanding through the application of a conceptual change framework. The study recommends a well-designed conceptual change instructional approach that leads to significantly better acquisition of scientific concepts.

1. Introduction

Upon the analysis of matric results in South Africa (more so those of the Eastern Cape Province), the results of Physical Science were observed to be trailing behind. The trend from 2016 to 2019 reveals that the subject trails behind in comparison to others (National Diagnostic Report (NDR)) [1].

An attempt has been made to counteract the dilemma of poor performance in Physical Science by launching several initiatives and programmes nationally and in respective provinces at the level of higher education institutions. An example of the government’s attempt to improve the Physical Science results was the establishment of Dinaledi schools, which were to be increased to roughly 400 [2]. The Dinaledi Focus Schools Project was included in the National Strategy to raise the number of quality passes by learners in Grades 10–12. The focus was on Mathematics and Physical Science, more so on previously disadvantaged learners. There are studies that have argued that underperformance in Physical Sciences is caused by the unavailability of infrastructure and quality of teaching [3]. However, attention has been on improving Physical Science performance overall, but no attention was paid on the actual strategies to be used. Therefore, this study focuses on identifying and characterising learners’ misconceptions and difficulties with quantitative aspects of chemical change and how to remove these misconceptions to enhance learning and teaching using the conceptual change approach. Conceptual change is the process of change from the learner’s prior conception to scientific conception [4]. This study employed a qualitative research methodology to gather data. In-depth interviews and a rigorous qualitative technique were used to study participants’ opinions of the conceptual change model and how it affects conceptual change. Qualitatively designed research would enhance participants’ conceptual change experience during classroom teaching, thus imparting greater knowledge regarding the roles of the different conceptual change model phases [5].

Against the above background, the researchers wished to find answers to the following research question: To what extent can the implementation of the conceptual change approach be used as a teaching and learning strategy in Physical Sciences, in one rural school?

2. Literature review

An instructional strategy wherein the teacher serves as an implementor and facilitator by guiding learners towards scientifically constructing valid ideas is termed as the conceptual change instructional strategy. This approach permits the instructor to pose thought-provoking questions, which then become a leeway for learners to conduct experiments under the mentorship of guided discussions.

Syuhendri [6] explored the effect of conceptual change-based instruction accompanied by demonstrations on 11th-grade learners’ attitudes towards Chemistry. Ebru, Fulya, Hakan, Vuslat, Necdet, Nuray and Filiz [7] examined conceptual change and the effect analogy has in bringing about conceptual change in Physics learners. Chinyere and Madu [8] found that the experimental analogy model improved the understanding of the concept of light refraction compared to regular lecture methods. However, learners frequently have misconceptions that prevent them from developing meaningful comprehension of complicated ideas. The researchers posit that simply giving learners the logical justifications for scientific ideas during instruction of quantitative aspects of chemical change does not promote conceptual understanding to the point where such justifications make little sense considering the learners’ own beliefs. The most influential model of conceptual change was proposed by Posner et al. [9]. Baidoo et al. [10] articulate as they concur that one of the best approaches to address misconceptions by learners about real-life situations and the manner they perceive physical world operations is through using the Piagetian concept of accommodation and the Khunian concept of ‘scientific revolution’. Conceptual shift is the idea that pupils learn in a new way while building on a variety of existing information. As a means to enhance learning by categorising science concepts misconceptions, the suggested vital strategy then becomes the conceptual change text-oriented instruction. Designing learning environments that allow learners to become aware of their current internal justifications and beliefs is essential for promoting conceptual change and improving problem-solving abilities.

3. Methodology

This study looked at the use of the conceptual change approach as a teaching and learning strategy for Physical Sciences at a rural school. With the help of the qualitative research approach, a thorough analysis and explanation of the events under consideration were provided [11]. The Chemistry Achievement Test (CAT) was used to create lessons for the intervention programme and to determine the learners’ alternate conceptions [12]. The CAT examinations were piloted on a small sample of Grade 11 Physical Sciences teachers from neighbouring schools to confirm topic validity. The information gathered by the CAT was examined using quantitative description. To guarantee the validity of the observation schedule for the intervention lessons and the interview schedule, colleagues in the same field were asked to review them.

Table 1 represents a summary of the sample.

Activity	Sample size	Sampling technique	Criteria
Pre-test and post-test	50 Grade 11 Physical Sciences learners	Purposive	The entire Physical Sciences class
Conceptual change lessons	50 Grade 11 Physical Sciences learners	Purposive	Entire Physical Sciences class
Interviews	12 of the 50 Physical Sciences learners	Selected from each defined group	4 low, 4 middle, 4 high performing Learners

Table 1.

Sample size.

Purposive sampling was chosen for this study. The sample included 50 learners from a Grade 11 Physical Sciences class. Semi-structured interviews also used purposeful sampling. Twelve of the 50 learners who were sampled were chosen for interviews. They were sampled based on their performance, with four learners, each receiving low, average and high marks in the pre-test. Each group had four randomly selected learners (Table 2).

Research Question	Method	Instrument	Respondents	Analysis
	Test	Marking memo	50 learners	Test scores
How can conceptual change pedagogy be administered towards enhancing learner understanding on quantitative aspects of chemical change?	Intervention lesson that was videotaped for observation purposes	Lesson plan: addressed in this part are the stages of conceptual change inclusive of fruitfulness, dissatisfaction, plausibility, intelligibility and observation schedule	50 learners	Observation and thick descriptions
	Post-test	Marking memo	50 learners	Test scores
	Interviews	Interview schedule	12 learners	Coding for themes

Table 2.

Research data collection plan.

3.1 Data collection plan

The data collection process was designed around the research question, and the lessons were prepared to meet the four conditions of conceptual change (dissatisfaction, intelligibility, plausibility and fruitfulness) [13]. Learners were required to work in groups and were given the opportunity to interact verbally. The goal was to allow learners to question concepts and recognise the limitations of their knowledge. For two weeks, learners were taught about chemical change four times a week during 50-minute class periods. Following the post-test, semi-structured interviews were conducted in the researchers’ school. The 12 learners were divided into three focus groups of four.

3.2 Procedure

A pre-test was assigned to learners prior to their exposure to the intervention programme to assess their conceptual knowledge. The pre-test results are illustrated in the form of a table and graph in Table 3 and Figure 1, respectively. The terms on quantitative aspects of chemical change were reviewed with Grade 11 Physical Sciences learners. The learners were then assigned a pre-test to assess their understanding of the quantitative aspects of chemical change from previous grades.

%	0–9	10-19	20-29	30-39	40-49	50–59	60–69	70–79	80–89	90–100
Freq	5	22	11	7	3	2	0	0	0	0

Table 3.

Pre-test scores in the form of percentages.

Figure 1.

Pre-test scores graph.

The pre-test results are shown in Table 3 and Figure 1.

As indicated in the diagram, 90% of the learners scored less than 40% and none scored 60% or higher. According to the pre-test results, the majority of Grade 11 Physical Sciences learners were unable to answer questions about the quantitative aspects of chemical change. If this issue is not addressed, it may lead to additional difficulties in this section of Grade 12. As a result, the study proposed a conceptual change approach to solving the problem.

4. Intervention

Instruction on using the conceptual change approach was imparted on learners, which included the application of various tactics such as appropriate comprehension addressing demonstrations and misconceptions. Teaching and learning processes focused on enlightenments to maximise the plausibility and intelligibility of scientific concepts. The researchers prepared conceptual change texts in the quantitative aspects of chemical change.

Instruction was aimed to cover the mole concept, molar mass and stoichiometry, all of which are aspects of quantitative chemical change. When developing the three lessons, the conceptual change stages were holistically considered.

5. Conceptual change approach

Learners were taught through the conceptual change approach, which had the main focus on considering the extent to which scientific conceptions’ plausibility and intelligibility could be maximised as alluded to by the four conditions put forward by Posner et al. [9] were used to implement conceptual change, namely dissatisfaction, intelligibility, plausibility and fruitfulness. These four conditions suggest that there are several important conditions that must be fulfilled before the conceptual change is likely to occur.

6. Dissatisfaction

Swafiyah et al. [4] declare that it is a necessary juncture for learners to be efficient at defining and relating terms for a particular concept. By so doing, they would be regarded to have mastered the concept of quantitative aspects of chemical change. The pre-test results revealed that the concept was poorly understood. As a result, the teacher felt it imperative to impose learners in a video lesson before engaging in discussion. The teacher entered the Grade 11 Physical Sciences class. On the chalkboard, the topic for discussion was posed by the teacher, with indications of quantitative aspects versus chemical change. The approach used by the teacher to familiarise learners with the emerging topic was through the review of Grade 10 work. It began with a revision of the mole concept, wherein a mole was defined as equivalent to the volume of a substance.

Following video viewing, the teacher posed a series of questions to the learners. As an example: What is a substance? Learners responded as follows:

What is the scientific name for anything that takes up space?

Learners began to recall work from Grades 8–10.

It is a single atom. [Learner No. 3].

A proton is what it is. [Learner No. 5].

It is a single electron. [Learner No. 6].

Material. [Learner No. 7].

I believe it is matter. [learner].

They were giving various answers, both correct and incorrect and their responses were written on the board. Bloom’s taxonomy denotes that the point of departure when teaching is by introducing learners to what they are already familiar with before embarking on imposing abstract or unfamiliar aspects. This type of discussion assisted the teacher in getting closer to the concept from what they knew. Although some of the answers were incorrect, they were throwing related terms together.

The teacher divided the learners into five groups of ten and used the learners’ responses to generate activity. Substances, material, matter, atoms, protons and electrons were the terms used. During the presentations, the teacher dispatched learning resources like Prestik and Koki pens to learners grouped according to learner abilities. Thereafter, learners were expected to design personal concept maps, which were later pasted for visibility and accessibility to all. During presentations, learners directed questions to the group that was presented at that particular time.

In the end, learners who had a different understanding of the scientific viewpoint concurred with the outcomes emanating from class engagements. As a result, they retracted how they initially perceived things. Upon further probing, the mole concept was introduced (as this concept had been previously unpacked) and defined as an amount of a substance. Learners understood the word substance but struggled with the word ‘amount’? The teacher instructed the learners to look up the word ‘amount’ in their dictionaries. They came up with various answers that all had the same meaning. They came up with various answers that all had the same meaning as ‘many’ or ‘quantity’.

As engagements were ongoing, learners provided examples of substances for which they were familiar with the quantities. Responses included items like 10 kg of sugar, 12.5 kg of mealie meal and dozens of eggs.

What is the number of eggs in a dozen? [Teacher].

One dozen eggs contain 12 eggs. [B Group].

How many sugar grains are there in 10 kg of sugar? MH! [Teacher] They are too numerous to count. [D Group].

In your opinion, how are granular substances packed?

Learners responded with eagerness, indicating that weighting of objects is used for packaging. [A Group].

The mole was defined by the teacher as a scientific quantity of substances. Periodic tables were circulated to learners to interact with and asked to examine the elements on the table. Explanations were uttered with indications that sometimes it is necessary to know how many particles (atoms or molecules) are in a sample of a substance or how much of a substance is required for a chemical reaction to occur in a single mole of any substance or how much of a substance is required for a chemical reaction to occur. There are 6.023 × 1023 particles in one mole of any substance. It denotes the presence of numerous particles. This is referred to as Avogadro’s number. The teacher attempted to persuade the learners about scientific concepts by referring to their discussions, such as how sugar grains could be weighed 1 kg, 5 kg or 10 kg but had many particles inside each pocket.

Learners indicated that they now understood what the term ‘mole’ meant. Learners indicated that they initially misunderstood the term. After establishing dissatisfaction with learners’ the teacher felt implied to further clarify the scientific viewpoint by using worksheets and explanations. Exercises were used to present discussion questions. The teacher went on to explain that if you weighed out samples of several elements, the mass of the sample would be the same as the relative atomic mass of that element.

7. Intelligibility

People need to comprehend the structuring of emergent concepts adequately to investigate the likelihood of inheriting [9]. The teacher introduced the apparatus into the classroom for learners to accommodate factors that promote new ideas that appeared abstract. The balance scale and filter paper were distributed by the teacher to each group and chemical. Iron fillings were given to Group A, magnesium powder to Group B, sulphur powder to Group C, zinc powder to Group D and copper fillings to Group E. When learners use their senses, they learn more effectively. The teacher gave the learners a worksheet to fill out and a periodic table as support material.

All group members were given equal opportunities to partake in the experiment. During this investigation, the teacher was also hands-on in mentoring and supporting all activities pioneered by each group. When learners experience challenges, they easily interact with the teacher as the classroom environment caters to learner diversity and learner-centred collaborations [E Group].

The teacher explained to the entire class that the number at the top of the periodic table represents the element’s atomic number, and the number at the bottom represents the element’s atomic mass. Until this point, the teacher had been attempting to share experiences and, at the same time, imparting knowledge by filling in the gaps in what learners already know. Learners felt very proud of the scientific knowledge attained.

8. Plausibility

Plausibility is stage number 3 of conceptual change theory. Posner [9] asserts that emerging knowledge needs to be revealed by learners. At this point, learners are supposed to mentally picture the new concepts they have learned. At this point, the new hypothesis appears plausible.

The learners were exposed to new scientific knowledge, and the teacher was responsible for directing the learning towards cognitive reformation. As the teacher diversified teaching-learning strategies, conceptual change theory was adopted to introduce chemical concepts by engaging in problem-solving tactics.

The teacher provided analogous problem-solving examples. The examples assisted learners in developing problem-solving skills that would allow them to solve higher-order cognitive level questions such as quantitative or conceptual problems. The examples were created using the steps outlined above. The learners were able to conceptualise the problems that need to be solved. The teacher began to delve deeper into calculations involving chemical equations, which had already been introduced in Grade 10. The teacher reminded learners of the chemical change that occurs during the chemical reactions that result in the formation of a new substance. The teacher made an example by sharing that mixing ingredients that have undergone measuring is an important strategy when preparing for baking, explaining that flour has to be in its maximum quantities. As a result, the product was dependent on ingredients that were lesser than others. That is known as a limiting reactant or limiting reagent in a chemical reaction.

Learners responded to the following questions:

Question No. 1.

From the tabled example above, what is the number of tentative sandwiches to be produced?

It is likely possible that one can produce approximately 10 slices of bread and cheese, meaning each slice of cheese is catered for two slices of bread [C Group].

Question 2:

Classify the limiting ingredient in the scenario above.

The group’s limiting ingredient is slices of bread. [A Group].

Question 3: Which of the following ingredients is in excess?

There is an excess of cheese because some slices of cheese remain. [D Group].

For students to have a clearer understanding, the teacher felt it imperative to use figures and diagrams to explain the chemical equation, beginning with the reactants, which can be molecules or atoms. To functionally use diagrams together with balanced equations when chemical reactions are being modelled, it is important to note that when equations are balanced, it is then ensured that each element applied on the reactant side produces an equal amount when equated to the product side. The figure demonstrated therefore was intended to indicate that in a case where three carbon molecules were on the reactant side, automatically so the product side correspondingly contains three carbon molecules. As the law of conservation of matter stipulates, reactants can either be solid or liquid and can be described in terms of mass or volume.

9. Fruitfulness

Fruitfulness is the final stage of conceptual change theory. Any new concept designed needs to benefit learners as this would allow them opportunities and exposure to real-life circumstances, thus leading to future-content learners, as argued by Posner et al. [9]. Following the demonstration, learners continued to discuss the events associated with chemical reactions and energy concepts. The main goal of these discussions was to demonstrate how functional and effective the newly learned concepts were. Learners seemed to have accomplished these experiments as they shared their real-life experiences extracted from occurrences from their immediate and diverse environments.

10. Industrial reaction to produce fertiliser

Question: According to the following equation, sulphuric acid (H₂SO₄) reacts with ammonia (NH₃) to produce the fertiliser ammonium sulphate ((NH₄)₂SO₄):

(NH₄)₂SO₄ = H₂SO₄(aq) + 2NH3(g) (aq)

How much ammonium sulphate can be made from 2.0 kg of sulphuric acid and 1.0 kg of ammonia?

Answer

Step 1: Convert the sulphuric acid and ammonia masses into moles n(H₂SO₄) = m/M

=2000 g/98.078 g/mol = 20.39 mol n(NH₃) = 1000 g/17.03 g/mol = 58.72 mol

=1000 g/17.03 g/mol = 58.72 mol

Step 2: Determine which of the reactants is limiting using the balanced equation.

According to the balanced chemical equation, one mole of H₂SO₄ reacts with two moles of NH₃ to produce one mole of (NH₄)₂SO₄. As a result, 20.39 moles of H₂SO₄ must react with 40.78 moles of NH₃. In this case, NH₃ is in excess, and H₂SO₄ is the limiting factor.

In the following equation, sulphuric acid (H₂SO₄) reacts with ammonia (NH₃) to produce the fertiliser ammonium sulphate ((NH₄)₂SO₄):

H₂SO₄(aq) + 2NH₃(g) = (NH₄)2SO₄ (aq)

What is the maximum mass of ammonium sulphate that can be obtained from 2.0 kg of sulphuric acid and 1.0 kg of ammonia?

Answer

Step 1: Convert the mass of sulphuric acid and ammonia into moles n.

Step 3: Determine the maximum amount of ammonium sulphate that can be produced.

Answer

According to the equation, the mole ratio of H₂SO₄ in the reactants to (NH₄)₂SO₄ in the product is 1:1. As a result, 20.39 moles of H₂SO₄ will produce 20.39 moles of (NH₄)₂SO₄.

The maximum mass of ammonium sulphate that can be produced is calculated as follows:

m = n M = 20.41 mol 132 g/mol = 2694 g

The maximum amount.

The teacher further asked a question referring to example 9,

Why is it necessary to produce fertilisers? [Teacher].

For the production of good quality food. [G3L2].

How the necessary concepts of quantitative aspects of chemical change were clearly explained by the teacher with clarifications that industry productivity also depends on these critical aspects of change.

After the intervention post-test was administered, the post-test was identical to the pre-test. The results show that learners’ performance in a post-test improved significantly when compared to the pre-test. The results are analysed and interpreted using a table and graph.

A close examination of the post-test reveals that the intervention process had a positive influence on the results. 60% of the learners achieved more than 50%, indicating that more learners understood the concept. Only 20% got less than 30%.

10% got between 30% and 40%.

11. Interviews

Focus group interviews were conducted with 12 Grade 11 Physical Sciences learners for this study. Three groups of learners were formed. The category of these three formed by four learners in each were coded as (FL). The interviews were conducted to determine how well learners have gained new knowledge through collaborating with others when experiments were conducted. In the group of 50 learners, there was a mix of varying learner abilities from low to high achievers.

At the conclusion of the intervention, all learners took part in focus group interviews. The goal was to get their thoughts on how to implement the lesson. During interviews, learners were asked how they performed in the pre-test versus the post-test, as well as what motivated their responses. According to the responses, all of them scored higher on the post-test because of how the lesson was presented. They compared the lesson presentation to how it is usually taught. The following codes were obtained based on the responses of the learners: activities, experiments, learner participation, group activities, writing activities and approach preference (Table 4).

Codes	Learners quantity & percentage
Activities and experiments	50 (100%)
Learner participation and group activities	50 (100%)
Writing activities and preference approach	50 (100%)

Table 4.

Learners distribution in percentages indicating codes identified from data gathered.

Learners reported that the experiments and demonstrations done in class were the main difference, as they had never done science experiments before. One learner stated that the way the teacher presented the lesson made them grasp all the information, while the other stated that it was their first time doing experiments in class. All learners stated that they usually made notes, but this time, they wrote laboratory reports, which increased their knowledge retention. In terms of teacher-learner engagements, it was reported by learners that it was their norm to listen and form self-compiled notes, concurrently; for this lesson, there was maximum learner participation. Learners also shared that all learners engaged themselves in discussions as they were eager to see the experiment outcomes. This is supported by one learner who uttered: ‘there was exchange of ideas throughout the discussions’.

As indicated by some learners, there were improved collaborations as learners were exposed to working with class members who never belonged to their groups. This has led to the formation of new friends and the extension of social skills. Another achieved skill, as perceived by learners, was compiling reports of what they observed, which was seen to have improved their writing capabilities.

Another learner indicated that they enjoyed writing by themselves. All of them preferred the way the researchers presented the lesson, citing reasons such as learning better, being motivated, enjoying the lesson, participation and involvement, and retention of new knowledge.

12. Discussion

In this investigation, a conceptual change approach was administered to have a better understanding of quantitative aspects versus chemical change.

The study found that there was an improvement in learners’ scientific understanding after pre-test and post-test. The study recommends a well-designed conceptual change instructional approach that leads to significantly better acquisition of scientific concepts. The study is significant because it addresses the issue of poor performance in Physical Sciences, particularly in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The study suggests that a conceptual change instructional strategy is an effective teaching strategy that can be used to improve learners’ understanding of science concepts. The study also highlights the importance of designing learning environments that allow learners to become aware of their current internal justifications and beliefs, which is essential for promoting conceptual change and improving problem-solving abilities. The study employed a qualitative research methodology, which is appropriate for exploring learners’ misconceptions and difficulties on quantitative aspects of chemical change. The study used a case study approach and collected data from 50 learners and 12 teachers. The study used the Chemistry Achievement Test (CAT) to create lessons for the intervention programme and to determine the learners’ alternate conceptions. The CAT examinations were piloted on a small sample of Grade 11 Physical Sciences teachers from neighbouring schools to confirm topic validity. The study’s findings suggest that the conceptual change approach is an effective teaching strategy that can be used to improve learners’ understanding of science concepts. The study recommends a well-designed conceptual change instructional approach that leads to significantly better acquisition of scientific concepts. The study also highlights the importance of designing learning environments that allow learners to become aware of their current internal justifications and beliefs, which is essential for promoting conceptual change and improving problem-solving abilities. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the use of conceptual change instructional strategy to improve learners’ understanding of science concepts [14]. The study’s findings have important implications for science education in South Africa and other countries facing similar challenges. The study suggests that science educators should consider using conceptual change instructional strategy to improve learners’ understanding of science concepts and promote problem-solving abilities.

13. Findings

The conceptual change approach was effective: The study found that the conceptual change approach was an effective teaching strategy that led to a significant improvement in learners’ scientific understanding after pre-test and post-test. This means that learners who participated in the conceptual change instructional programme had a better understanding of the quantitative aspects of chemical change than those who did not participate in the programme.

Importance of designing learning environments: The study highlighted the importance of designing learning environments that allow learners to become aware of their current internal justifications and beliefs, which is essential for promoting conceptual change and improving problem-solving abilities. This means that teachers should create a classroom environment that encourages learners to reflect on their existing ideas and beliefs about a topic so that they can challenge and change them when necessary.

Qualitative research methodology: The study employed a qualitative research methodology, which is appropriate for exploring learners’ misconceptions and difficulties on quantitative aspects of chemical change. This means that the study used open-ended questions and interviews to collect data on learners’ understanding of the topic, rather than relying on standardised tests or surveys.

Case study approach: The study used a case study approach, which involved studying a particular group of learners or a specific classroom setting in depth. This allowed the researchers to get a detailed understanding of the learners’ existing ideas and beliefs, as well as the effectiveness of the conceptual change instructional programme.

Use of Chemistry Achievement Test (CAT): The study used the Chemistry Achievement Test (CAT) to create lessons for the intervention programme and to determine the learners’ alternate conceptions. The CAT examinations were piloted on a small sample of Grade 11 Physical Sciences teachers from neighbouring schools to confirm topic validity. This means that the study used a standardised test to assess learners’ understanding of the topic and to create lessons that addressed their specific misconceptions.

Implications for science education: The study’s findings have important implications for science education in South Africa and other countries facing similar challenges. The study suggests that science educators should consider using the conceptual change instructional strategy to improve learners’ understanding of science concepts and promote problem-solving abilities. This means that science teachers should incorporate a conceptual change approach into their teaching practice to help learners overcome their existing misconceptions and develop a deeper understanding of scientific concepts.

14. Conclusion

In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the use of a conceptual change instructional strategy to improve learners’ understanding of the quantitative aspects of chemical change. The study found that the conceptual change approach was an effective teaching strategy that led to a significant improvement in learners’ scientific understanding after pre-test and post-test. The study also highlighted the importance of designing learning environments that allow learners to become aware of their current internal justifications and beliefs, which is essential for promoting conceptual change and improving problem-solving abilities.

The findings of the study have important implications for science education in South Africa and other countries facing similar challenges. Science educators should consider incorporating a conceptual change approach into their teaching practice to help learners overcome their existing misconceptions and develop a deeper understanding of scientific concepts. This approach has the potential to improve learners’ academic performance and promote problem-solving abilities, which are critical skills for success in science and beyond. Overall, this study highlights the importance of adopting innovative teaching strategies that are grounded in educational research to promote effective learning and improve educational outcomes.

15. Recommendation

Based on the findings of this study, there are several recommendations that can be made for science educators and policymakers. Firstly, science educators should consider incorporating a conceptual change approach into their teaching practice to help learners overcome their existing misconceptions and develop a deeper understanding of scientific concepts. This approach should be implemented in a well-designed learning environment that allows learners to reflect on their existing ideas and beliefs, which is essential for promoting conceptual change and improving problem-solving abilities. Secondly, policymakers should consider investing in teacher training and professional development programmes that focus on innovative teaching strategies that are grounded in educational research. These programmes can help to equip science teachers with the skills and knowledge they need to implement effective teaching strategies that promote conceptual change and improve educational outcomes. Lastly, further research should be conducted to explore the effectiveness of the conceptual change approach in other areas of science education and in other contexts. This can help to provide more evidence on the effectiveness of this approach and inform the development of more effective teaching strategies in science education.