Exploring forces & electricity : a workbook for students in secondary schools

Abstract

The research involves the design of a workbook for Maltese students for two different topics taken from the Physics SEC syllabus: Forces and Electricity. The units in the workbook are divided into knowledge and understanding sections, together with an exploratory activity. The aim of the knowledge and understanding sections is to provide students with some information about the topic. The exploratory activity will involve a simple activity which will illustrate the concepts which need to be learnt, using simple materials which are available to students. The aim of the workbook is to provide students with an easy to read step-by-step guide to the understanding of a number of everyday physical phenomena which Maltese students experience in their daily life. An evaluation of the workbook was also carried out. Teachers responded to the text in a positive manner. This workbook is different from existing workbooks in that it caters specifically to Maltese students, use examples from the Maltese environment, and use simple English and diagrams where possible, so that even students with difficulties in English can grasp the main physics concepts. The aim is to introduce physics to students in a fun and interesting way based on a number of activities and practical examples.