Some alternative views of energy

Abstract

It is important to recognise that the frameworks here are not meant to categorise youngsters in the way they think. They are a useful means of analysing and describing the complex responses they provide as they discuss the concept of energy. Viennot's (1979) work has shown that formal teaching is not always successful at changing students' ideas. In her study, Engel (1982) found a confusing picture of conceptual change in fourth-and fifth-year pupils - certainly no clear-cut pattern of acceptance of (or growth towards) scientific ideas because of classroom teaching.