COMPARING TEXTUAL, VISUAL AND PRACTICAL METHODS FOR TEACHING PHYSICS

Abstract

The same material about friction was covered by the same teacher in three different ways: using only verbal and textual means of communication (text group), using visual aids (diagram group) and using simple experiments (experiment group). The conceptual understanding of each group was evaluated using a test developed for this research. The scores were similar across the groups. HIGHLIGHTS We used friction examples to compare three methods for teaching physics: textual, visual and practical. The first group of students had the textual version of the lesson, with no drawings or diagrams. The second group of students had the usual class, in which the verbal explanation is accompanied by drawings and diagrams on the board. The third group had the complete bundle – verbal explanations, diagrams on the board, and a chance to conduct simple experiments. The effectiveness of teaching methods was evaluated using a conceptual test developed for this research. The scores of all groups were very similar.