Investigation of Undergraduate Physics Students’ Conception of Eclipses’ Formation Using Three Tiers Diagnostic Test in Ilorin, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Natural phenomenon explanation like eclipse is an important event that needs to be examined among all peers so as to ensure the scientific understanding of these natural happenings in our various environments. Purpose: This study focuses on investigating the undergraduate physics students’ conception of eclipses formation using a three-tier diagnostic test. Method: The study was descriptive research of survey type that adopted the usage of a three-tier questionnaire to elicit information about the students’ understanding of eclipses formation. The sample of the study consisted of 80 students (40 physics education students and 40 pure physics students), who were selected through convenience sampling technique. The three-tier diagnostic test consisted of four questions that were on the formation of total solar eclipse, annular solar eclipse, partial solar eclipse, and lunar eclipse, which was used to collect information. Each question consisted of three stages. Descriptive statistics like frequency count, percentage, and pie chart were used to determine the students’ correct conception, misconception, wrong conception, and guess answer Results: The study found out that 20 students had correct conception, while 42 had misconception of the formation of total solar eclipse. Conclusion: The study recommended that the study on students’ correct conception and misconception about the natural phenomenon should be carried out often.