Diagnosing pre-service teachers’ thermodynamics reasoning: linking definitions to model-based explanations across contexts
Physics Education, cilt.61, sa.3, 2026 (Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 61 Sayı: 3
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1088/1361-6552/ae6f61
- Dergi Adı: Physics Education
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Scopus, Aerospace Database, Agricultural & Environmental Science Database, EBSCO Education Source, Educational research abstracts (ERA), INSPEC, DIALNET, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Social Science Premium Collection (ProQuest), Education Collection (ProQuest), Education Source Ultimate (EBSCO), Materials Science & Engineering Collection (ProQuest), Technology Collection (ProQuest)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: conceptual change, heat–temperature–internal energy, mental models, science teacher education
- Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
- Eskişehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Understanding how learners define and mentally model thermodynamic concepts is essential for meaningful conceptual development. This study examined pre-service science teachers’ definitional knowledge of heat, temperature, and internal energy; their model-based explanations across multiple thermal contexts; and the coherence between these two forms of knowledge. Data were collected from written responses to a five-item open-ended assessment administered to forty-eight participants. Qualitative content analysis was conducted using a coding framework informed by conceptual change perspectives, model-based reasoning, and representational approaches. The analysis of definitions revealed three levels of understanding: conceptual confusion, partially correct but relationally inconsistent explanations, and scientifically accurate yet not fully integrated descriptions. Most participants demonstrated transitional patterns, using correct terminology without establishing mechanistic relationships. Explanations generated for contextual thermal problems produced three types of mental models: fragmented single-variable models, context-dependent hybrid models, and integrated macro–micro–symbolic models. Only one participant demonstrated a fully integrated model. Cross-analysis indicated a partial alignment between definitional levels and mental model types. Crucially, correct definitions did not reliably predict coherent causal reasoning across contexts. These findings suggest that learners activate different cognitive resources depending on the thermal situation, even when they can reproduce scientific terminology. For physics teacher education, this implies a shift from definition-focused instruction to model construction, model comparison, and explicit coordination of macro–micro–symbolic representations.