Glancing Moon From Student Perspective: Journey From Intuitive To Scientific

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to provide detailed information about impact of traditional teaching on students understanding of moon in the sky and aspects related to it: shape, pattern of motion, eclipse and phases of moon. The focus is on exploring ideas in the mind of students related to moon that are at foundation for understanding of astronomical concepts. Seventy two students participated in the study. Data is collected quantitatively through pre-test post-test design. Analysis of data revealed that students lack observational experiences about moon and prior knowledge from different sources is insufficient. The more structured instruction is needed to reach full scientific understanding across all aspects of moon. This study has future implications for classroom researches and curriculum designing.