A Classroom Intervention of Enhancing Namibian Preservice Science Teachers’ Conceptual Understanding of Properties of Waves Through Mnemonics
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70232/jrmste.v1i2.9Keywords:
Classroom Intervention, Conceptual Understanding, Mnemonics, Physics, Preservice TeachersAbstract
This quantitative classroom intervention study investigated the effectiveness of using mnemonics to enhance preservice teachers’ conceptual understanding of the topic of wave properties in physics. The study involved a sample of 30 final-year undergraduate preservice teachers enrolled in the Bachelor of Education Honours, Senior Primary with specializations in Natural Science and Health Education at Dorado Campus of The International University of Management in Namibia. The primary objective was to assess the impact of a targeted mnemonic-based instructional intervention on their ability to comprehend and apply key physics concepts related to wave properties. Initially, participants’ baseline understanding of these concepts was evaluated through pre-intervention assessments, which provided a measure of their existing knowledge. A structured mnemonic-based teaching intervention was then implemented over a specified period, designed to facilitate improved understanding of wave properties. Following the intervention, post-assessment evaluations were conducted to compare and measure changes in the participants’ conceptual understanding of the subject matter. This comparative analysis aimed to identify any significant improvements resulting from the mnemonic-based instruction. The findings indicated that there were notable improvements in the participants’ conceptual grasp of wave properties after the mnemonic-based intervention. Additionally, the study collected and analyzed participants’ feedback regarding the use of mnemonics, offering insights into their perceptions of the technique’s effectiveness as a pedagogical tool for learning complex scientific concepts. This research contributes to the broader field of physics concepts by providing evidence-based strategies to enhance the preparation of preservice teachers, particularly in physics education. Ultimately, the results of this study have the potential to inform and improve teaching practices, fostering more effective and engaging educational experiences in future science classrooms.
References
Akhter, N., Nawshin, N., & Khatun, M. (2021). Mnemonic techniques: characteristics, educational suitability and research prospects in the field of anatomy. Mymensingh Medical Journal, 30(4), 1187–1191.
Akpan, J., Notar, C. E., & Beard, L. (2021). The impact of mnemonics as instructional tool. Journal of Education and Human Development, 10(3), 20-28. https://doi.org/10.15640/jehd.v10n3a3
Akuma, F. V., & Callaghan, R. (2019). Teaching practices linked to the implementation of inquiry‐based practical work in certain science classrooms. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 56(1), 64-90. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21469
Al-Maqbali, F., Ambusaidi, A., Shahat, M., & Al Kharusi, H. (2022). The effect of teaching science based on mnemonics in reducing the sixth-grade female students’cognitive load according to their imagery style. Journal of Positive School Psychology, 6(7), 2069-2084.
Amin, U., Nascimento, F. A., Karakis, I., Schomer, D., & Benbadis, S. R. (2023). Normal variants and artifacts: importance in EEG interpretation. Epileptic Disorders, 25(5), 591-648. https://doi.org/10.1002/epd2.20040
Anderson, N. D. (2019). State of the science on mild cognitive impairment (MCI). CNS Spectrums, 24(1), 78-87 https://doi.org/10.1017/s1092852918001347
Argudo, D., & Oh, T. (2022). A new framework to study the wave motion of flexible strings in the undergraduate classroom using linear elastic theory. European Journal of Physics Education, 13(2), 10-29.
Auliya, U. H. (2023). The use of mnemonic technique in increasing students’ English vocabulary mastery at the tenth grade students of SMKS Muhammadiyah Marawol Universitas Islam Negeri Datokarama Palu]. https://doi.org/10.24239/dee.v5i1.79
Baddeley, A. (2020). Working memory. In Memory (pp. 71-111). Routledge.
Barile, C., Casavola, C., Pappalettera, G., & Paramsamy Kannan, V. (2023). Propagation of Sound Waves. In Sound Waves and Acoustic Emission (pp. 9-33). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-23789-8_2
Bein, O., Plotkin, N. A., & Davachi, L. (2021). Mnemonic prediction errors promote detailed memories. Learning & Memory, 28(11), 422-434. https://doi.org/10.1101/lm.053410.121
Bennett, C. A. (2022). Principles of physical optics. John Wiley & Sons.
Berki, B. (2019). Does effective use of MaxWhere VR relate to the individual spatial memory and mental rotation skills? Acta Polytechnica Hungarica, 16(6), 41-53. https://doi.org/10.12700/aph.16.6.2019.6.4
Branaghan, R. J., O’Brian, J. S., Hildebrand, E. A., Foster, L. B., Branaghan, R. J., O’Brian, J. S., Hildebrand, E. A., & Foster, L. B. (2021). Visual Perception. Humanizing Healthcare–Human Factors for Medical Device Design, 97-134. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64433-8_5
Braun, V., Blackmore, J., Cleveland, R. O., & Butler, C. R. (2020). Transcranial ultrasound stimulation in humans is associated with an auditory confound that can be effectively masked. Brain Stimulation, 13(6), 1527-1534. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2020.08.014
Bravou, V., & Drigas, A. (2019). A contemporary view on online and web tools for students with sensory & learning disabilities. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijoe.v15i12.10833
Campbell, S., Greenwood, M., Prior, S., Shearer, T., Walkem, K., Young, S., Bywaters, D., & Walker, K. (2020). Purposive sampling: complex or simple? Research case examples. Journal of research in Nursing, 25(8), 652-661. https://doi.org/10.1177/1744987120927206
Caplan, J. B., Legge, E. L., Cheng, B., & Madan, C. R. (2019). Effectiveness of the method of loci is only minimally related to factors that should influence imagined navigation. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 72(10), 2541-2553. https://doi.org/10.1177/1747021819858041
Casparian, A. S., & Sirokman, G. (2016). Applied Chemistry for Environmental Engineering. Momentum Press.
Cheriti, A., Bousdira, N., & Bounar, F. (2023). Investigating EFL teachers’ perspectives on the use of mnemonics in teaching phrasal verbs the case of EFL teachers at Mohammed Seddik Ben Yahia
Cioca, L.-I., & Nerișanu, R. A. (2020). Enhancing creativity: Using visual mnemonic devices in the teaching process in order to develop creativity in students. Sustainability, 12(5), 1985. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12051985
Çolak, K., & Aydın, R. İ. (2022). The effect of using mnemonics on success in social studies. The Journal of Educational Research, 115(3), 223-233. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.2022.2100861
Cowan, E. T., Schapiro, A. C., Dunsmoor, J. E., & Murty, V. P. (2021). Memory consolidation as an adaptive process. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-021-01978-x
Cowan, N., Morey, C. C., & Naveh-Benjamin, M. (2020). An embedded-processes approach to working memory. Working Memory: The State of the Science, 44. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198842286.003.0003
Dave, A. (2020). Does It Function? Adapting visual mnemonics and self-regulated strategy instruction to teach argumentative writing. IAAR Journal of Education, 2(1), 175-233. https://doi.org/10.58213/education.v2i1.12
Devkota, G. (2019). The psychoacoustic properties of sound: an introduction. Indian Journal of Scientific Research, 10(1), 215-221. https://doi.org/10.32606/ijsr.v10.i1.00034
Diaz-Orueta, U., Rogers, B. M., Blanco-Campal, A., & Burke, T. (2022). The challenge of neuropsychological assessment of visual/visuo-spatial memory: A critical, historical review, and lessons for the present and future. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 962025. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.962025
Dif, K. (2022). The effect of scaffolding technique to develop EFLstudents’ reading comprehension of short stories. Kasdi Merbah Ouargla University.
Drigas, A., Mitsea, E., & Skianis, C. (2022). Metamemory: metacognitive strategies for improved memory operations and the role of VR and mobiles. Behavioral Sciences, 12(11), 450. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs12110450
Drushlyak, M., Semenikhina, O. V., Proshkin, V. V., & Sapozhnykov, S. V. (2021). Training pre-service mathematics teacher to use mnemonic techniques. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1840/1/012006
Elsisi, E. (2023). AFL Students’ Perception of Using Mnemonics as a Strategy to Enhance their Vocabulary Acquisition and Retention.
Farrokh, P., Vaezi, H., & Ghadimi, H. (2021). Visual mnemonic technique: an effective learning strategy. GIST–Education and Learning Research Journal, 23, 7-32. https://doi.org/10.26817/16925777.1042
Fitzgerald, M., Danaia, L., & McKinnon, D. H. (2019). Barriers inhibiting inquiry-based science teaching and potential solutions: Perceptions of positively inclined early adopters. Research in Science Education, 49, 543-566. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-017-9623-5
Fuller, M. C., Ura, S. K., & Vannest, K. J. (2020). Improving cooperation skills through a mnemonic for self-monitoring. Intervention in School and Clinic, 55(5), 294-300. https://doi.org/10.1177/1053451219881712
Garnham, W. A., & Gowers, I. R. (2023). Active Learning in Higher Education: Theoretical Considerations and Perspectives. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003360032
Gockel, H. E., Moore, B. C., & Carlyon, R. P. (2020). Pitch perception at very high frequencies: On psychometric functions and integration of frequency information. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 148(5), 3322-3333. https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0002668
Greve, A., Cooper, E., Tibon, R., & Henson, R. N. (2019). Knowledge is power: Prior knowledge aids memory for both congruent and incongruent events, but in different ways. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 148(2), 325. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/um4ga
Harris, C. (2022). Active learning. In Learning to Teach in the Secondary School (pp. 309-326). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003201267-26
Hartman, J. R., & Nelson, E. A. (2021). A paradigm shift: the implications of working memory limits for physics and chemistry instruction. arXiv preprint arXiv:2102.00454.
Hartman, J. R., Nelson, E. A., & Kirschner, P. A. (2022). Improving student success in chemistry through cognitive science. Foundations of Chemistry, 24(2), 239–261. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10698-022-09427-w
Hill, A. C. (2022). The Effectiveness of Mnemonic Devices for ESL Vocabulary Retention. English Language Teaching, 15(4), 6-15. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v15n4p6
Howell, R. A. (2021). Engaging students in education for sustainable development: The benefits of active learning, reflective practices and flipped classroom pedagogies. Journal of Cleaner Production, 325, 129318. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.129318
Iliaki, G., Velentzas, A., Michailidi, E., & Stavrou, D. (2019). Exploring the music: a teaching-learning sequence about sound in authentic settings. Research in Science & Technological Education, 37(2), 218-238. https://doi.org/10.1080/02635143.2018.1526170
Islam, N. (2019). Learning styles: Diverse avenues to learning. International Journal of Research in Engineering, IT and Social Sciences, 9(1), 73-85.
Jaiswal, P. (2019). Using learner-centered instructional approach to foster students’ performances. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 9(9), 1074-1080. https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.0909.02
Jesionkowska, J., Wild, F., & Deval, Y. (2020). Active learning augmented reality for STEAM education—A case study. Education Sciences, 10(8), 198. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10080198
Johnson, R., Ginsberg, S., & Wilks-Smith, N. (2020). Enhancing memory for learning: Teachers’ journeys of implementing memory strategies in their classrooms. Scan: The Journal for Educators, 39(1), 2-14.
Jones, W. E., Benge, J. F., & Scullin, M. K. (2021). Preserving prospective memory in daily life: A systematic review and meta-analysis of mnemonic strategy, cognitive training, external memory aid, and combination interventions. Neuropsychology, 35(1), 123. https://doi.org/10.1037/neu0000704
Kılıç, F., & Yolbulan Okan, E. (2021). Storytelling and narrative tools in award-winning advertisements in Turkey: an interdisciplinary approach. Journal of Marketing Communications, 27(8), 881-896. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527266.2020.1780466
Klepsch, M., & Seufert, T. (2020). Understanding instructional design effects by differentiated measurement of intrinsic, extraneous, and germane cognitive load. Instructional Science, 48(1), 45-77. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-020-09502-9
Kluger, F. E., Oladimeji, D. M., Tan, Y., Brown, N. R., & Caplan, J. B. (2022). Mnemonic scaffolds vary in effectiveness for serial recall. Memory, 30(7), 869-894. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658211.2022.2052322
Korankye-Mensah, L. (2022). Comparing the effects of mnemonic, prior knowledge and modified lecture-based instructional strategies on students’ learning outcomes of ion-identification in Accra girls’ senior high school [PhD Thesis, University of Education Winneba]. http://ir.uew.edu.gh:8080/handle/123456789/3108
Kurniarahman, I. (2023). Mnemonics and Their Effect on Students’ Vocabulary Memorization and Recall: A Quantitative Study. BATARA DIDI: English Language Journal, 2(1), 10-24. https://doi.org/10.56209/badi.v2i1.51
Lass, N. J., & Donai, J. J. (2021). Hearing science fundamentals. Plural Publishing.
Liao, Y.-H., Kung, W.-C., & Chen, H.-C. (2019). Testing the effectiveness of creative map mnemonic strategies in a geography class. Instructional Science, 47, 589-608. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-019-09494-1
Lombardi, D., Shipley, T. F., Astronomy Team, B. T., Chemistry Team, Engineering Team, Geography Team, Geoscience Team,, & Team, P. (2021). The curious construct of active learning. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 22(1), 8-43. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100620973974
Makau, P. M. (2020). Appropriateness Of Mnemonic Techniques on Learning Outcomes in Public Primary Schools in Machakos Sub-County, Kenya Machakos University Press. https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v9-i9/6386
Mari-Acevedo, J., Yelvington, K., & Tatum, W. O. (2019). Normal EEG variants. Handbook of Clinical Neurology, 160, 143-160. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-444-64032-1.00009-6
Mohajan, H. K. (2020). Quantitative research: A successful investigation in natural and social sciences. Journal of Economic Development, Environment and People, 9(4), 50-79. https://doi.org/10.26458/jedep.v9i4.679
Moreira, F., Ferreira, M. J., Pereira, C. S., Escudero, D. F., Collazos, C., & Gomes, A. (2021). Higher education teachers training (HET2) model: Active learning in higher education environment. World Conference on Information Systems and Technologies, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-72660-7_11
Mweshi, G. K., & Sakyi, K. (2020). Application of sampling methods for the research design. Archives of Business Review, 8(11). https://doi.org/10.14738/abr.811.9042
Nakamura, N. (2022). Theoretical framework for musical mnemonics interventions addressing verbal memory, University of Kansas.
Newton, D. P. (2022). A practical guide to teaching science in the secondary school. Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003325130
Ni, L. B., & Hassan, N. A. B. (2019). The use of mnemonic and mathematical mnemonic method in improving historical understanding. International Journal of Educational and Pedagogical Sciences, 13(2), 93-97.
Norton, S. A. (2023). Storytelling in the Classroom: How Mnemonics Impact Memory Spalding University].
Olaniyan, A. O. (2022). Assessing Novice Preservice Physics Teachers’ Conceptual Knowledge of Mechanical Waves. International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovations, 9(12), 85-93. https://doi.org/10.51244/ijrsi.2022.91206
Orru, G., & Longo, L. (2019). The evolution of cognitive load theory and the measurement of its intrinsic, extraneous and germane loads: a review. Human Mental Workload: Models and Applications: Second International Symposium, H-WORKLOAD 2018, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, September 20-21, 2018, Revised Selected Papers 2, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14273-5_3
Papanastasiou, G., Drigas, A., Skianis, C., Lytras, M., & Papanastasiou, E. (2019). Virtual and augmented reality effects on K-12, higher and tertiary education students’ twenty-first century skills. Virtual Reality, 23, 425-436. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-018-0363-2
Qureshi, M. A., Khaskheli, A., Qureshi, J. A., Raza, S. A., & Yousufi, S. Q. (2023). Factors affecting students’ learning performance through collaborative learning and engagement. Interactive Learning Environments, 31(4), 2371-2391. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2021.1884886
Radović, T., & Manzey, D. (2019). The impact of a mnemonic acronym on learning and performing a procedural task and its resilience toward interruptions. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2522. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02522
Rodrigues, A. L. (2020). Digital technologies integration in teacher education: the active teacher training model. Journal of E-Learning and Knowledge Society, 16(3), 24-33. https://doi.org/10.21125/iceri.2019.1168
Rodríguez-Sabiote, C., Úbeda-Sánchez, Á. M., Álvarez-Rodríguez, J., & Álvarez-Ferrándiz, D. (2020). Active learning in an environment of innovative training and sustainability. Mapping of the conceptual structure of research fronts through a bibliometric analysis. Sustainability, 12(19), 8012. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12198012
Røe, Y., Wojniusz, S., & Bjerke, A. H. (2022). The digital transformation of higher education teaching: four pedagogical prescriptions to move active learning pedagogy forward. Frontiers in Education, https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.784701
Roheger, M., Folkerts, A.-K., Krohm, F., Skoetz, N., & Kalbe, E. (2020). Prognostic factors for change in memory test performance after memory training in healthy older adults: a systematic review and outline of statistical challenges. Diagnostic and Prognostic Research, 4(1), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41512-020-0071-8
Rouse, J. (2019). Articulating the world: Conceptual understanding and the scientific image. University of Chicago Press.
Rumsey, F. (2021). Sound and recording: applications and theory. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003092919
Siagian, D. T., Maida, N., Irianto, D. M., & Sukardi, R. R. (2023). The effectiveness of mnemonic device techniques in improving long-term memory in learning in elementary schools: A Literature Review. Equator Science Journal, 1(1), 24-30. https://doi.org/10.61142/esj.v1i1.4
Skulmowski, A., & Xu, K. M. (2022). Understanding cognitive load in digital and online learning: A new perspective on extraneous cognitive load. Educational Psychology Review, 34(1), 171-196. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-021-09624-7
Smith, C., & Gillespie, M. (2023). Research on professional development and teacher change: Implications for adult basic education. In Review of Adult Learning and Literacy, Volume 7 (pp. 205-244). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003417996-7
Soland, K. (2022). Does loudness represent sound intensity? Synthese, 200(2), 100. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-022-03665-3
Sommeillier, R., Quinlan, K. M., & Robert, F. (2021). Domain of validity framework: a new instructional theory for addressing students’ preconceptions in science and engineering. Studies in Science Education, 57(2), 205-239. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057267.2020.1824472
Sperber, D. (2019). Instincts or gadgets? Not the debate we should be having. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 42. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0140525x19001122
Steiglitz, K. (2020). Digital Signal Processing Primer. Courier Dover Publications.
Stinken-Rösner, L., Rott, L., Hundertmark, S., Baumann, T., Menthe, J., Hoffmann, T., Nehring, A., & Abels, S. (2020). Thinking inclusive science education from two perspectives: Inclusive pedagogy and science education. Research in Subject-matter Teaching and Learning, 3(1), 30-45.
Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning. Cognitive Science, 12(2), 257-285. https://doi.org/10.1016/0364-0213(88)90023-7
Szőllősi, Á., & Racsmány, M. (2020). Enhanced mnemonic discrimination for emotional memories: the role of arousal in interference resolution. Memory & Cognition, 48, 1032-1045. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13421-020-01035-3
Theobald, E. J., Hill, M. J., Tran, E., Agrawal, S., Arroyo, E. N., Behling, S., Chambwe, N., Cintrón, D. L., Cooper, J. D., & Dunster, G. (2020). Active learning narrows achievement gaps for underrepresented students in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(12), 6476-6483. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1916903117
Tomczak, E., & Lew, R. (2019). The song of words”: Teaching multi-word units with songs. 3L: The Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies, 25(4), 16-33. https://doi.org/10.17576/3l-2019-2504-02
Tullis, J. G., & Qiu, J. (2022). Generating mnemonics boosts recall of chemistry information. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 28(1), 71. https://doi.org/10.1037/xap0000350
Vollebregt, B. R. (2020). The effect of training in equipment use on science teachers’ PCK about the wave concept University of Pretoria. https://doi.org/10.1080/18117295.2021.1892331
Wanner, P., Cheng, F.-H., & Steib, S. (2020). Effects of acute cardiovascular exercise on motor memory encoding and consolidation: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 116, 365-381. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.06.018
Webster, O. (1966). Read well and remember: a guide to more rapid, more efficient reading. Simon and Schuster.
Weinberger, N., & Merhav, N. (2022). The DNA storage channel: Capacity and error probability bounds. IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, 68(9), 5657-5700. https://doi.org/10.1109/tit.2022.3176371
Whiting, J. K., Berardi, M. L., Vaughn, A. B., Vongsawad, C. T., Neilsen, T. B., Anderson, B. E., & Gee, K. L. (2022). Sounds to astound: An acoustics outreach show. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 152(2), 835-850. https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0013010
Williams, J. J. (2022). The use of musical mnemonic devices in the aid of short-term and long-term memory recall, Indiana State University.
Xi, X., Teng, H., Chen, Z., & Yang, P. (2022). Effects of longitudinal disturbances on two-dimensional detonation waves. Physical Review Fluids, 7(4), 043201. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevfluids.7.043201
Xie, H., Mayer, R. E., Wang, F., & Zhou, Z. (2019). Coordinating visual and auditory cueing in multimedia learning. Journal of Educational Psychology, 111(2), 235. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/edu0000285
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Tomas Shivolo
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
