View in EDS

Supporting Learning about Energy with Fields--Evidence from a Mixed-Methods Study

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Supporting Learning about Energy with Fields--Evidence from a Mixed-Methods Study
Language: English
Authors: Kristin Fiedler (ORCID 0000-0002-3820-6800), Marcus Kubsch (ORCID 0000-0001-5497-8336), Knut Neumann (ORCID 0000-0002-4391-7308), Jeffrey Nordine (ORCID 0000-0003-2279-0763)
Source: Journal of Research in Science Teaching. 2025 62(8):1859-1878.
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 20
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Junior High Schools
Middle Schools
Elementary Education
Grade 7
Descriptors: Energy, Scientific Concepts, Physics, Science Education, Science Instruction, Teaching Methods, Scientific Principles, Secondary School Science, Middle School Students, Concept Formation, Grade 7
DOI: 10.1002/tea.70006
ISSN: 0022-4308
1098-2736
Abstract: Energy is one important concept in physics, but science education research has repeatedly shown that students struggle to develop a full understanding of energy. Especially challenging for students is the notion of potential energy. Overwhelmed by the sheer number of potential energy forms, students struggle to make connections between them. Students often struggle to develop a conceptual understanding of potential energy, resulting in difficulties in learning about energy in general and their continued learning about energy. To address this issue, scholars have proposed incorporating fields into energy instruction. Through fields, the various forms of potential energy can be connected and synthesized into two simple underlying principles: (1) fields mediate interaction-at-a-distance and (2) the energy is stored in a field with the amount of energy depending on the configuration of the objects. Recent studies suggest that incorporating fields in middle school energy instruction is feasible and effective; however, little is known about whether and how middle school students connect energy and fields ideas to benefit their learning. In response to this research gap, we developed a unit on energy with fields and a comparable unit without fields and compared students' learning on energy in these two units. In a mixed-methods approach, we examined students' learning on energy during an introductory and a continued learning unit on energy with N = 67 students from grade 7. Our findings suggest that students who learned about energy with fields outperformed students who learned about energy without fields. Furthermore, fields-based energy instruction seemed to support students in developing better-connected knowledge networks that reflect deeper conceptual understanding of energy. Our findings suggest that incorporating fields into energy instruction could help students to better understand energy and to better continue learning about energy.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1483978
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1483978
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Supporting Learning about Energy with Fields--Evidence from a Mixed-Methods Study
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kristin+Fiedler%22">Kristin Fiedler</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3820-6800">0000-0002-3820-6800</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Marcus+Kubsch%22">Marcus Kubsch</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5497-8336">0000-0001-5497-8336</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Knut+Neumann%22">Knut Neumann</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4391-7308">0000-0002-4391-7308</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jeffrey+Nordine%22">Jeffrey Nordine</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2279-0763">0000-0003-2279-0763</externalLink>)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Research+in+Science+Teaching%22"><i>Journal of Research in Science Teaching</i></searchLink>. 2025 62(8):1859-1878.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 20
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Secondary+Education%22">Secondary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Junior+High+Schools%22">Junior High Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Middle+Schools%22">Middle Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Education%22">Elementary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+7%22">Grade 7</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Energy%22">Energy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Scientific+Concepts%22">Scientific Concepts</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Physics%22">Physics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Science+Education%22">Science Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Science+Instruction%22">Science Instruction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teaching+Methods%22">Teaching Methods</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Scientific+Principles%22">Scientific Principles</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Secondary+School+Science%22">Secondary School Science</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Middle+School+Students%22">Middle School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Concept+Formation%22">Concept Formation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+7%22">Grade 7</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1002/tea.70006
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0022-4308<br />1098-2736
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Energy is one important concept in physics, but science education research has repeatedly shown that students struggle to develop a full understanding of energy. Especially challenging for students is the notion of potential energy. Overwhelmed by the sheer number of potential energy forms, students struggle to make connections between them. Students often struggle to develop a conceptual understanding of potential energy, resulting in difficulties in learning about energy in general and their continued learning about energy. To address this issue, scholars have proposed incorporating fields into energy instruction. Through fields, the various forms of potential energy can be connected and synthesized into two simple underlying principles: (1) fields mediate interaction-at-a-distance and (2) the energy is stored in a field with the amount of energy depending on the configuration of the objects. Recent studies suggest that incorporating fields in middle school energy instruction is feasible and effective; however, little is known about whether and how middle school students connect energy and fields ideas to benefit their learning. In response to this research gap, we developed a unit on energy with fields and a comparable unit without fields and compared students' learning on energy in these two units. In a mixed-methods approach, we examined students' learning on energy during an introductory and a continued learning unit on energy with N = 67 students from grade 7. Our findings suggest that students who learned about energy with fields outperformed students who learned about energy without fields. Furthermore, fields-based energy instruction seemed to support students in developing better-connected knowledge networks that reflect deeper conceptual understanding of energy. Our findings suggest that incorporating fields into energy instruction could help students to better understand energy and to better continue learning about energy.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1483978
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1483978
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1002/tea.70006
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 20
        StartPage: 1859
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Energy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Scientific Concepts
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Physics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Science Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Science Instruction
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teaching Methods
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Scientific Principles
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Secondary School Science
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Middle School Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Concept Formation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grade 7
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Supporting Learning about Energy with Fields--Evidence from a Mixed-Methods Study
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Kristin Fiedler
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Marcus Kubsch
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Knut Neumann
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Jeffrey Nordine
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 10
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 0022-4308
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1098-2736
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 62
            – Type: issue
              Value: 8
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Journal of Research in Science Teaching
              Type: main
ResultId 1