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Learner Misconceptions
Learner Misconceptions about electricity
Learners may well have misconceptions or misunderstandings about electricity. Engage activities
such as discussing a Concept Cartoon will help the teacher identify what some of these
misunderstandings are and explore activities will give opportunities to help learners come to a better
scientific understanding of electricity and electrical circuits. Some common misconceptions are listed
below:
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Electricity comes out of one end of the battery and goes back in the other end.
Learners may think that only one wire is needed as this is what they see in household
appliances.
Energy is a fuel that flows into an electrical appliance.
Energy is made and destroyed.
Electricity comes from the ground like coal or gas.
Only metals conduct electricity.
The bulb nearest the battery will be brightest.
Electricity runs in both directions at once.
Electricity is ‘used up’ in a circuit.
The bulb uses up electricity.
A cell is the same as a battery.
Challenging Learner misconceptions about circuits
When asking learners to discuss what might be going on inside a circuit they could be asked to
imagine they have special vision and can see inside the circuit. They could then be asked to draw
and write about what they think is going on. This activity will almost certainly elicit misconceptions
that the learners have.
Detailed ideas on how to challenge misconceptions such as the two listed below can be found in the
publication: Teaching electricity effectively
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Electricity is ‘used up’ in a circuit
The bulb uses up electricity
This activity would provide a strong opportunity for working with a secondary science department to
explore some of the learners ideas about what might be going on in the circuit. This provides an
opportunity for the teacher who is not a specialist to model the inquiry process where they are also
involved in a journey of learning and discovery. The tentative nature of science can be modelled
through saying things like “You know I am not sure of the answer to that one, I wonder how we could
investigate it and who we might ask to help us”. There is also an opportunity to explain to learners that
at all times we are using models (physical, mathematical, graphical) to explain our physical
observations as best we can. As they progress through learning, the models will change and they will
explore in more depth.
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