Abstract Book of the 9th International Conference on Research in Education
Year: 2025
DOI:
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Primary School Teachers’ Instructional Knowledge of Energy Concepts
Prof. Mila Bulić
ABSTRACT:
Energy is one of the most fundamental concepts in all scientific disciplines and plays a crucial role in everyday life. Furthermore, it is a key topic in teaching and learning within the educational system. As one of the core “big ideas,” the concept of energy is integrated into every stage of schooling in Croatia. In the lower grades of primary education, students’ understanding of energy is generally broad and basic. It is essential to provide them with experiential learning opportunities through phenomena related to energy, such as motion, heat, light, sound, melting, evaporation, and temperature changes. Effective energy instruction requires competent teachers who apply modern teaching methods and strategies to foster students’ conceptual understanding of energy. A study conducted on a sample of 224 primary school teachers in Croatia revealed that educators assess their own methodological knowledge of energy as insufficient and express a strong need for further professional development. An evaluation of their subject-matter knowledge indicates gaps in their understanding of fundamental concepts related to energy transfer and transformation. Therefore, special attention should be given to the education and training of future teachers in the field of energy to ensure they can teach this concept effectively and with confidence.
keywords: education, conceptual understanding, teaching methods, professional development, energy transfer