An Energy Education Curriculum for Children Based on Fostering Creativity in Elementary Schools

Abstract

One of the concepts in science education in primary school is energy. Children are familiar with energy resources and consumption in everyday life. Some children’s beliefs about energy are as follows: some things work with electricity; energy is necessary for the human body; without energy, one cannot do one’s job; we eat food to obtain energy; there are many energy sources; and we must save our electrical energy by reducing consumption. In Iran, in the third year of elementary school onwards, the introduction of energy and resources and energy consumption is emphasized. In science education, various methods are used to involve students in the learning process. However, the way in which this significant subject is introduced to children is very important. To gain more understanding about the importance of energy and methods of consumption, this concept is taught in science class at third grade elementary school. For this purpose, we designed a science activity based on creativity. Fifty students were selected as participants. They were divided into control and experimental groups. This was applied research; the method was experimental and has been conducted with control and experimental groups with a pre-test and post-test. Measurement was carried out with Torrance’s Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT, Figural form B) and an achievement test. The survey duration was 5 weeks. The experimental group was taught with practical activities and the control group was taught via traditional methods at the same time. We used descriptive and inferential statistical methods using SPSS software to analyze pre-test and post-test results. Our results showed a significant difference between the mean of pre- and post-tests for both the TTCT and the achievement test in the experimental group.