THE EFFECT OF ANALOGIES AND MODELS APPROACH ON UNDERSTANDING OF NUCLEAR RADIATION AMONG SCIENCE TEACHERS

Abstract

Education in nuclear science and technology faces challenges in enhancing teachers' understanding of nuclear radiation. The lack of understanding among teachers regarding nuclear radiation, which impacts student learning and teaching attitudes, warrants further research. International comparisons and the local context in Malaysia emphasise the importance of deeper teacher education to ensure accurate knowledge dissemination and shape a positive public perception of nuclear technology. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of using analogies and models to address these challenges. A quasi-experimental study involved 60 secondary school science teachers teaching Form 3 and 4 in Malaysian public secondary schools, equally divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group was taught using analogies and models, while the control group followed traditional lecture methods. This study used ANCOVA to adjust for pre-test scores and analyse post-test results. The findings revealed significant improvements in understanding in the experimental group. The experimental group achieved a mean post-test score of 67.63, higher than the control group's 55.24 (F(1, 57) = 29.699, p < 0.001, η² = 0.343). These findings demonstrate that the analogy and model approach effectively enhances teachers' understanding of nuclear radiation, with important implications for improving science education.  Using analogies and models significantly enhances teachers' understanding of nuclear radiation, supporting the theories of constructivism and conceptual change. This approach is effective not only for teaching complex topics but also for improving the quality of education in schools. Additionally, these implications guide policymakers to integrate analogy and model-based training into professional development programs, strengthening teachers' capacity to teach challenging science topics.