Repertory grid technique in the diagnosis of learner difficulties and the assessment of conceptual change in physics

Abstract

This research explores the potential of Personal Construct Psychology to aid in the diagnosis of learner difficulties with the long-term goal of helping assess the conceptual change promoted by instructional interventions in science education, specifically physics. As a 1st step, the authors examined the usefulness of Repertory Grid Technique (RGT) to assess students' conceptions and their evolution. Its potential for instructional and research purposes is illustrated through the authors' experience working with students of varied backgrounds with topics in Newtonian mechanics. Repertory grids were elicited and analyzed with RepGrid3, a computer program, using drawings of different motion phenomena. Results show that RGT can contribute to developing a practicable tool for determining an individual's conceptions in physics and assessing changes in these conceptions over time.