Misconceptions of Primary School Students about Light Phenomena

Primary school students are often confused when they need to explain light phenomena, and there are several factors that influence this. The purpose of the research was to determine primary school student’s achievement, differences between subpopulations and the level of presence of wrong beliefs (misconceptions) about light phenomena. The sample was composed of 306 students ages 7 to 10 of three primary schools in Sombor, Serbia. The data collection was carried out using knowledge test (Krombach’s alpha coefficient α = .73) developed on previous results on basic light misconceptions such as those about light sources, rectilinear propagation of light, transparency of materials and shadows. Results have demonstrated no significant difference in success among students from different schools, while, statistically significant difference was observed when comparing the results obtained from different age groups. This research elucidated that misconceptions about light phenomena were almost identical and deeply rooted among all primary school students regardless of their age. The obtained results point out to the need for more frequent checking of student knowledge with much more sensitive and valid tests, compiling an inventory of their misconceptions and, accordingly, creating innovative teaching models, which would enable successful overcoming of misconceptions.