Abstract

The plasma state is included in the unit on matter and its properties in the 9^th grade Physics course secondary school curriculum prepared by the Ministry of National Education of Turkey. Any tools and equipment required by tests to be conducted in the scope of the Physics course curriculum are in general easily accessible. However, in cases in which there are any physical or technical restrictions, it is suggested that different means such as demonstrations, tests or simulations are used. It is difficult to implement tests related to the plasma state of matter constituting the subject of this research due to technical restrictions. The goal of this study is to enable the student to understand the plasma state of matter that we encounter both in the universe and in daily life. To that end, an experimental system is designed for the plasma state of matter. To investigate the effect of this designed experimental system on understanding the plasma state, a working group was established with 48 students who studied in the 2014–2015 educational year in Eskisehir. Data are collected by an academic achievement test developed by the researchers. The achievement test is applied before and after the experimental procedure, and it is examined by t-test for unrelated samples. The answers given by the students to the open-ended questions are examined, According to the results of such a t-test for unrelated samples, it is found that the point averages received by the students from the achievement test after the experimental procedure are significantly higher than the point averages received by the students from the achievement test before the experimental procedure. Rubric scores for the answers given by the students to the open-ended questions show that the students explain their justifications better because of the experiment.

Key words: Secondary school students, physics education, plasma concept.