Seeking the right balance between three teaching approaches: a quasi-experimental study in the context of learning about thermal phenomena

Abstract

This study investigated which teaching approach may be optimal to facilitate learning about thermal phenomena in primary school. A pretest-posttest quasi-experiment included 45 eighth-grade students divided into three groups: non-interactive teacher-centered, teacher-centered interactive, and student-centered interactive instruction. The three teaching approaches were equally effective in developing students' overall understanding of thermal phenomena. However, students receiving the interactive teacher-centered approach significantly outperformed their peers in understanding basic thermal concepts.