Pre-university students' conceptions regarding radiation and radioactivity in a medical context

In this study, the conceptions of pre-university level secondary students with respect to radiation and radioactivity were investigated. A literature review determined what was already known about secondary school students' conceptions that differ from scientific theory, regarding radiation and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of science education 2021-01, Vol.43 (2), p.179-196
Main Authors: Siersma, Pier T., Pol, Henk J., van Joolingen, Wouter R., Visscher, Adrie J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attitude Change
College students
Diagnostic Tests
education
Foreign Countries
Irradiation
Literature reviews
Medical Evaluation
Medical imaging
Medical personnel
Pedagogical Content Knowledge
Perceptions
Physics
Radiation
Science Education
Scientific Concepts
secondary school
Secondary School Students
Secondary School Teachers
Secondary schools
Student Attitudes
student conceptions
Teacher Attitudes
Teacher Improvement
Teacher Qualifications
Teachers
Teaching
Teaching Methods
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Summary:In this study, the conceptions of pre-university level secondary students with respect to radiation and radioactivity were investigated. A literature review determined what was already known about secondary school students' conceptions that differ from scientific theory, regarding radiation and radioactivity. Next, 12 Dutch students and their teachers were interviewed. Half of the already known student conceptions were confirmed in the interviews. The most persistent conception was students' inability to distinguish between irradiation and contamination. All newly discovered conceptions, such as students' idea that radiation can exist independently of the source of radiation, were discovered within a medical context. A remarkable finding was that students have full confidence in medical professionals, while at the same time they believe that all medical imaging techniques are dangerous. It can be concluded that curricular developments and changes in teaching contexts lead to changes in student conceptions concerning established topics. Knowledge of these conceptions and how to change them might be an important focus for teacher training, as teachers play a role in overcoming conceptions that do not correspond with prevailing scientific theories and, at the same time, may be a source of these conceptions.
ISSN:0950-0693
1464-5289
DOI:10.1080/09500693.2020.1864504