Area secondary school students' perceptions of physics and application of physics concepts

Abstract

Physics is one of the core subjects in the Maltese National Minimum Curriculum. In most schools, both State and non-State, Physics is a compulsory subject for both boys and girls. This study was aimed to investigate Area Secondary school students' perceptions of Physics and whether they are able to apply Physics concepts they learn at school to everyday life phenomena. A quantitative methodology was adopted as it gives a broader view about the students' perspectives. Area Secondary school students were chosen as students who are less likely to use secondary Physics for further studies. A questionnaire, designed in both Maltese and English, was given to 305 Form 5 Area Secondary school students to obtain their perceptions about Physics and their ability to apply Physics concepts related to Heat and Pressure to everyday life. Any gender differences in perceptions and abilities were also investigated. The results of this study suggest that there are some factors such as difficulty and relevance of Physics which influence how Area Secondary school students perceive Physics. Additionally, some Area Secondary school students were able to apply Physics to everyday life in some questions. Finally, a number of conclusions and recommendations were made at the end of the study to suggest ways and measures as to how Area Secondary school students' perceptions of Physics may be improved and how to make Physics more relevant to their everyday life.