Students' Progression in Understanding Energy and Its Impact for Teaching

Past research suggests that students progress in their understanding of energy through a linear sequence of four big ideas: energy 1) forms and sources, 2) transfer and transformation, 3) dissipation, and 4) conservation. A recent study suggests, however, that students can develop an integrated understanding of energy in middle school learning if taught about all four big ideas at the same time. The presentation discusses the implications for a middle school energy curriculum.