Schrödinger: Journal of Physics Education

Vol. 5, No. 3, September 2024, pp. 76~87

ISSN: 2716-1587, DOI: 10.37251/sjpe.v5i3.1064  76

Efficacy of ADDIE Instructional Design in Promoting Conceptual Change

in Electronic Concepts at Tano-North Municipality, Ghana

Daniel Amankwaah1, Eric Appiah-Twumasi2, Kenneth Darko Ateko3, Yao Donusem Asamoah4
1Science Department, Boakye Tromo Senior High Technical School, Duayaw Nkwanta, Ghana
2Department of Educational Studies, Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development,
Kumasi, Ghana
3Science Department, St. Joseph Seminary Senior High School, Mampong, Ghana
4Department of Integrated Science Education, Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial

Development, Kumasi, Ghana

Article Info ABSTRACT

Article history: Purpose of the study: This study sought to determine the efficacy of the ADDIE
instructional design in facilitating the conceptual change of senior high school
Received Jul 9, 2024 physics students in Tano-North Municipality in Electronics.
Revised Jul 20, 2024
Accepted Aug 3, 2024 Methodology: A design-based research (DBR) methodology was adopted using
a sample of 101 participants. Data were collected using a 10-item Electronic
Online First Sep 20, 2024 Concepts Test (ECT). Data were analyzed quantitatively (frequencies,
percentages, and Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test) and qualitatively (content
Keywords: analysis).
Main Findings: The results revealed that significantly high percentages of
ADDIE
students (71.29% to 94.06%) demonstrated misconceptions about electronics
Conceptual Change concepts. The content analysis of the students' responses revealed various
Electronics misconceptions, including 'temperature increases conductivity of the conductors'
Misconceptions and 'heat increases conductor temperature,' among others. However, there was a
Physics significant increase in the percentage of students exhibiting scientific
understanding after the intervention (Z = -2.83, p = 0.002, with a large effect size
of r = 0.89).
Novelty/Originality of this study: While much attention has not been turned to
the use of ADDIE instructional design as an instructional approach in physics
teaching or, for that matter, the study of electronics, this study has revealed the
efficacy of the ADDIE instructional design in promoting students' conceptual
change in electronics concepts in the Tano-North Municipality. Based on the
results, the researchers recommended the ADDIE instructional design to high
school physics teachers in the Tano-North Municipality for teaching and learning
electronics concepts.

This is an open-access article under the CC BY license

Corresponding Author:
Eric Appiah-Twumasi,
Department of Educational Studies, Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial
Development,
Kumasi, KS1277, Ghana
Email: eatwumasi@[Link]

1. INTRODUCTION
The study of electronics has evolved, and today, engine management and in-car entertainment systems
are two areas of heavy use for electronics in the automotive industry [1]. In the aerospace sector, electronics are
significant. Also, the healthcare industry is an important sector that incorporates electronics in all aspects of its
Journal homepage: [Link]
Sch. Jo. Phs. Ed ISSN: 2716-1587  77
operations. For example, electronics are used in various treatments, including electrocardiogram, ultrasound, X-
ray, nuclear magnetic resonance, and many more [2]. Air conditioners, elevators, lighting, laptops, printers, fax
machines, and desktop computers are just a few of the electrical devices that apply electronics knowledge in
offices. Agriculture, which supports our nation, also depends on electronics to water crops with motors and
remotely monitor crop growth and soil moisture. Furthermore, the application of electronic devices aids in sending
data from servers to computers and from computers to servers [3], [4].
Despite the importance of electronics, the research community has widely acknowledged that many
students need more clarification about the basics of electronics [5]. This assertion is evident in the work of Nelson
et al., who found that students had misconceptions about semiconductor phenomena, diffusion, drift, and excitation
[6]. According to a study by Chen et al., on common misconceptions about learning about diodes, it was found
that seven students had misconceptions about the semiconductor concepts of a diode, four about bias features of a
diode, seven about simplified models of a diode, and ten about fundamental circuits of a diode [7].
According to Assem et al., misconceptions are false beliefs that students hold, often with great conviction,
that are contrary to the generally acknowledged body of scientific knowledge [8]. Misconceptions can be
detrimental to learning because they resist change [9]-[11]. In other words, they serve as obstacles to learning and
"cognitive bottlenecks" that must be surmounted for further learning. Students may be unaware that they have
formed a misconception when they think they grasp a phenomenon or concept because their limited prior
knowledge of the physical world strengthens their sensory perceptions. Students must, therefore, engage in
conceptual change to overcome their misconceptions.
In Ghana, the difficulty of physics students in electronics concepts is emphasized, particularly in external
examinations [12]-[15]. According to the West African Examination Council (WAEC) chief physics examiners,
“candidates could not list the advantages of the p-n junction diode over diode valves” [12]. The chief examiners
speculated that “it appeared most candidates did not treat semiconductors." Few candidates gave the correct
answer to questions related to intrinsic semiconductors and the difference between p-type and n-type
semiconductors [13]. Again, few candidates could use band theory to explain why the electrical resistance of a
semiconductor decreases with an increase in temperature [14]. Furthermore, in 2021, according to a report from
WAEC, the candidates could not state the function of (i) low voltage battery and (ii) high tension source as a
component of an X-ray tube [15]. Furthermore, “candidates could not state the reasons for the design
characteristics of an X-ray tube."
Similarly, the researchers' observations at the study site in the Tano North Municipality revealed that
some SHS physics students needed more understanding or clarification about electronics concepts. For example,
when students were asked the question, “What happens to the holes when a p-n junction is reversed biased?” A
student's response revealed the misconception that “reverse bias makes holes move back through the P-N junction
towards the negative side." Another student's response revealed the misconception that “the holes would absorb
N-type material.” Similarly, another student's response revealed the misconception that “reverse bias causes the
holes in the P-type material to flow toward the N-type material.” These observations indicate the students' lack
of understanding or misconception, which prompted the need for conceptual change.
When successfully implemented in the classroom, ADDIE (Analyse, Design, Develop, Implement, and
Evaluate) instructional design can improve conceptual change, leading to improved student academic performance.
The reason is that ADDIE focuses more on the learner, thus being an active learning technique or a learner-centered
instructional approach [16]-[18]. This makes ADDIE align with the principles of constructivism propounded by
Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky [19]-[21]. The ADDIE model is primarily a framework for instructional design,
focusing on creating and organizing instructional materials and courses [22], [23]. However, it can also be adapted
and used as an instructional teaching method, especially when planning and teaching lessons [17], [24], [25].
Studies, though limited, have thus found that the ADDIE instructional design model enhanced students’
academic performance in various learning disciplines. For example, Moral et al. found that the ADDIE model
improved performance in natural science in the Philippines [17]. Additionally, Asuncion, revealed that using the
ADDIE model improved the performance of students with bachelor's degrees in elementary education in
educational technology [26]. Also, Ghana found that the use of the ADDIE model aided in improving the academic
performances of final-year hospitality students in a Technical University [24]. Notwithstanding the perceived
benefits of the ADDIE instructional design model, there appear to be few studies in the field of physics education,
especially in Ghana, that account for how the ADDIE instructional design model could produce conceptual change
in Senior High School physics students (SHS), and this presents a gap in research that needs to be filled. It was
against this background of wanting to expel misconceptions in electronics studies of SHS physics students of Tano
North Municipality in the Ahafo Region, Ghana, and the desire to fill this identified study gap that this study was
initiated. Specifically, this study sought to determine the extent to which SHS physics students in the Tano North
Municipality demonstrate misconceptions about electronics concepts and how the ADDIE instructional design
model can promote conceptual change in electronics concepts among physics students at Tano North Municipality.

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2. RESEARCH METHOD
Connecting pragmatism ideas, this study employed design-based research (DBR) methodology. The goal
of the DBR methodology, which was created by and for educators [27], is to improve practice by maximizing the
impact, transfer, and translation of education research while helping to create prototype solutions to address
complex real-world problems that are context-specific [28]. DBR also highlights the need to develop and test
design ideas and theories that direct, enlighten, and improve research and practice in educational settings [29].
Therefore, in the context of this study, SHS Physics students’ misconceptions of electronics were identified
through a pre-intervention test, and an intervention using the ADDIE model, based on the constructivism theory
of learning, was designed to address the challenge. Following the intervention was the conduction of a post-
intervention test to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention in enhancing students' conceptual change in
electronics. Within this DBR, the data collected were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively, allowing for deeper
exploration and a holistic understanding of the research problem [28].

2.1 Population and Sample

A total of 101 SHS physics students, constituted through a multi-stage sampling method, were used as
the research subjects for the study. That is, simple random sampling was used to select two (2) SHSs, and of the
two (2) selected SHSs, simple random sampling was used to select an intact class from each school. Both intact
classes selected were exposed to the ADDIE instructional design model. Therefore, there was no control group in
this study. The sampled students were selected from a population of SHS final-year physics students in the Tano
North Municipality in the Ahafo Region, Ghana.

2.2 Data collection instrument

The Electronics Concepts Test (ECT) was the data collection instrument. The ECT consisted of ten open-
ended questions. The ten questions were constructed in areas of electronics such as capacitors, transistors,
conductors, insulation, and semiconductors. Other areas included the P-N junction diode and rectification. The
same test items were used as the pre-intervention test and post-intervention test. The selection of the questions for
the ECT was premised on these areas of electronics because the researchers identified through a preliminary
observation that physics students in the study area (Tano North Municipality) demonstrated misconceptions about
the selected electronics concepts. Also, it appears that most physics students have misconceptions [5], [6] and
diverse difficulties [12]-[15] in these areas. Table 1 presents the detailed structure of the ECT.

Table 1. Structure of Electronics Concepts Test

Concept Item Questions
Capacitors and Transistors 6 Explain why a transistor has a thin base.
Conductors, Insulators, 1 Explain the effect of temperature on the conductivity of conductors.
and semiconductors 2 What is the effect of temperature on the resistivity of conductors?
3 Why does conductivity increase with temperature in semiconductors?
4 Explain why there is a wider forbidden band in insulators.
5 Explain what happens when a semiconductor is doped with impurities.
8 Why is the conduction band described as the highest energy band in a
solid?
9 Explain why the valence band can be described as the lowest energy
band in a solid.
10 How can normal temperature affect the conductivity of an insulator
such as polythene?
P-N Junction Diode and 7 What is the effect of forward biasing a light-light-emitting diode?
Rectification

The ECT was given to physics and science education experts to determine the appropriateness of each
item on the instruments. Experts reviewed the items, after which modifications were made for subsequent piloting.
Two independent raters scored the students' responses to determine the reliability of the ECT pilot test items. The
internal consistency of the scores, specifically the reliability between the rats, was determined using Kappa's
measure of agreement. A Kappa value of 0.720 was obtained, which indicates a substantial agreement, according
to [30].

2.3 Ethical Procedures

Ethics permission was obtained from the school authorities, who conducted the study according to ethical
standards. In addition, participants voluntarily participated in the study. Also, confidentiality was given priority;
therefore, alphabets were used as names of participants to avoid easy identification.

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2.4 Teaching intervention
This is the second stage of the data collection process, and at this stage, the implementation of the ADDIE
model occurred. The intervention stage lasted four (4) weeks. Within these four weeks, students were exposed to
the ADDIE instructional model while teaching and learning electronic concepts.

Table 2. Weekly Schedule of Electronic Content

Period Content Taught
Week 1 Electronic Components and Circuit Diagrams
Week 2 Capacitors and Transistors
Week 3 Conductors, Insulators, and Semiconductors
Week 4 P-N junction diode and rectification

The following subheadings present how the relevant activities outlined in the ADDIE instructional design
model were applied at each stage of the teaching intervention for every week.

Analyse
The analysis stage was characterized by examining the students' previous knowledge students before each
lesson based on the lesson objectives to determine their lesson's objectives to determine student's strengths and
weaknesses. This was done using an open 5-item test, which served as a diagnostic test, and students were required
to answer on sheets of paper.
Design
Based on the students' responses to the diagnostic test, the researcher designed and planned instructional
tasks, activities, and materials to be given to the students. The lesson objectives were also identified, including
specific skills and knowledge the researchers wanted students to obtain. The specific objectives of the lesson were
clearly stated. For example, by the end of the lesson, the student will be able to;
1. identify essential electronic components in a circuit. E.g., resistors, capacitors, and inductors.
2. explain the behavior of electronic components in a circuit.
Develop
At this stage, the researchers developed the materials students would use during classroom activities.
Examples are transistors, capacitors, resistors, LEDs, and videos of how to construct some basic electronic
components and how these components work.
Implementation
At this stage, the researchers presented the lesson to students. Students were sometimes allowed to watch
videos on constructing a simple electronic circuit. After watching the videos, they were allowed to practice hands-
on using the available components. During the activities, worksheets were given to students, which contained
instructions on which activities students were to undertake based on the lesson objectives. The researchers were
available in person to offer needed assistance and guidance.
Evaluate
To assess whether the lesson objectives were achieved, the researchers used formative and summative
assessments to evaluate the students based on the objectives stated at the design stage. Formatively, students were
given similar essay-type tests as formative assessments after every lesson. The essay-type test helped determine
whether there had been an enhancement of conceptual understanding of the lesson objectives. However, the
researchers conducted a summative evaluation test after completing the intervention stage. The results were used
to determine any conceptual electronics concepts after using ADDIE instructional design.

2.5 Data Analysis Procedure

The results were presented in both quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative results involved the
frequencies and percentages of students who demonstrated misconceptions and scientific understanding of each
item. The independence chi-square test was then used to determine any significant association between each item
and the response category (misconception and scientific understanding). Also, to determine whether the ADDIE
instructional design model significantly promoted student conceptual change in electronics concepts, the Wilcoxon
Signed Rank Test was used to test for any significant difference in the percentage of students who exhibited
scientific understanding before and after the intervention. However, qualitative results involved content analysis
of students’ responses to each item.

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This section of the study represents the results of misconceptions about electronic concepts and
subsequent findings of conceptual change.

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3.1. Misconceptions among SHS Physics Students in Electronics Concepts
The results of the students' misconceptions and scientific understanding of the students from the ECT,
which answers research question 1, are presented in this section. A student was deemed to possess misconceptions
if their answer contained incorrect information, misused terminology, or demonstrated flawed reasoning
inconsistent with scientific principles on the electronics concept. In contrast, a student was adjudged to possess
scientific understanding if their answer was accurate, demonstrated clear understanding, and used correct
terminology and logical reasoning. Furthermore, students who did not attempt to respond to an item that provided
irrelevant or off-topic responses or lacked coherence or any indication of concept knowledge were considered to
demonstrate “no understanding” of the concept. However, this study found that no student demonstrated “no
understanding” of an item. All students attempted each item, and their responses were scientifically accurate or
inaccurate. The quantitative results were expressed in frequencies and percentages, while the qualitative results
were done through content analysis of students’ responses. The quantitative results of the misconceptions of the
students and the scientific understanding of each item before the intervention are presented in Table 3.

Table 3. Quantitative Results of Students’ Misconceptions and Scientific Understanding of Electronics Concepts
Before Intervention
Item* NSEM (N=101) % rank NSHSU (N=101) % rank χ2 df p
1 95 94.06 1 6 5.94 9 78.43 1 0.001
2 73 72.28 9 28 27.72 2 20.05 1 0.001
3 80 79.21 5 21 20.79 5 34.47 1 0.001
4 81 80.20 4 20 19.80 7 36.84 1 0.001
5 79 78.22 6 22 21.78 6 32.17 1 0.001
6 75 74.26 8 26 25.74 3 23.77 1 0.001
7 83 82.18 3 18 17.82 8 41.83 1 0.001
8 72 71.29 10 29 28.71 1 18.31 1 0.001
19 76 75.25 7 25 24.75 4 25.75 1 0.001
10 95 94.06 1 6 5.94 9 78.43 1 0.001
NSEM - Number of Students Exhibiting Misconception
NSESU – Number of Students Exhibiting Scientific Understanding
*Refer to Table 1 for the questions.

As presented in Table 3, a Chi-square test for independence indicated a significant association between
each item and category of students’ response (misconception and scientific understanding). Table 3 further reveals
that high percentages of students generally had misconceptions about all the items in the ECT before the
intervention. This is because the percentage of students who exhibited misconceptions on all the items in the ECT
ranged from 71.29% to 94.06%. It can be seen from Table 3 that the most significant percentage of students
(94.06%) exhibited misconceptions on items 1 and 10, while the lowest percentage of students (71.29%) exhibited
misconceptions on item 8.
On the contrary, Table 3 reveals that very low percentages of students generally demonstrated a scientific
understanding of electronics concepts, with the percentage of students having a scientific understanding of
electronics concepts ranging from 5.94% to 28.71%. The highest percentage of students (28.71%) demonstrated a
scientific understanding of item 8, while the lowest percentage (5.94%) demonstrated a scientific understanding
of items 1 and 10.
Content analysis was conducted on students' responses to understand the context and deeper meaning
behind students' answers to the items in the ECT, offering rich qualitative insights. This helped to understand
students' misconceptions of electronics concepts comprehensively. The items selected for the content analysis were
items 1, 3, 6, and 10, representing the items where the highest, moderate, and most minor percentage of students
demonstrated misconceptions. Representative explanations of students from the ECT are presented as follows.
Question 1: Explain the effect of temperature on the conductivity of conductors.
Common student responses: Students demonstrated misconceptions about this particular item. For
example, student A stated, “Increasing the temperature of a conductor will always increase its conductivity. This
is because heat activates the electrons in the conductor, making them move more freely” (student A answer).
Identified Misconception 1: Temperature increases the conductivity of conductors.
From the quote above, Student A could not explain that when the temperature of a conductor is increased,
atoms within the conductor vibrate faster at greater amplitude. As a result, the number of collisions between the
vibrating and free electrons increases, reducing the number of free electrons. Accordingly, Student A failed to
acknowledge that the current flow also reduces, which increases the material's resistivity and conductivity.
Also, student B said, “The conductivity of a conductor remains constant regardless of temperature
changes. This is because conductors always conduct electrons, so, no matter the amount of heat, their conductivity
will not change” (student B's answer).

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Identified Misconception 2: conductivity remains constant
Student B also should have acknowledged that when the temperature of a conductor is increased, atoms
within the conductor vibrate faster at greater amplitude. As a result, the number of collisions between the vibrating
electrons and free electrons increases, reducing the number of free electrons. Accordingly, student B also did not
understand that the current flow also reduces, increasing the resistivity of the material.
Similarly, student C articulated, “When heat flows through a conductor, the conductor always gets hotter.
"Heat always increases the temperature of objects, and this temperature will cause the conductor to get hotter.
This will increase the conductivity of the conductor” (student C answer).
Identified Misconception 3: Heat increases the temperature of conductors.
From student C, there was a lack of scientific understanding or explanation regarding the item. Student
C specifically failed to acknowledge the difference between heat and temperature and how temperature would
affect the conductivity of conductors.
Furthermore, student D said: “Temperature always causes objects to change shape or state. So, when a
conductor, which is a type of solid, is exposed to temperature, the material will change its shape. And when the
shape is changed, conductivity will not take place” (student D’s answer).
Identified Misconception 4: The temperature causes a change in the shape of a conductor.
Student D's answer reflected a need for a more scientific understanding of electronics. Student D did not
consider that internal changes in atomic particles increase or decrease the conductivity of the conductors.
Question 3: Why does conductivity increase with temperature in semiconductors?
Common students’ response: students demonstrated common misconceptions concerning this particular
item. For example, student E stated: “It is the electron that causes an object to be conductive. So, when you increase
the temperature of a semiconductor, it adds more electrons to the material, making it more conductive” (Student
E's answer).
Identified Misunderstood 5: The addition of electrons with an increase in temperature.
For this item, student E did not realize that the number of electrons in a semiconductor remains constant,
and the temperature does not add or remove electrons. Thus, Student E failed to explain that when the temperature
of a semiconductor is increased, some covalent bonds break, and more free electrons and holes are produced. With
the increase in electrons, the conductivity of the semiconductor increases.
Furthermore, the student answered this particular item: “I think higher temperatures cause electrons to
move faster within the semiconductor, leading to increased conductivity” (Student F’s answer).
Identified Misconception 6: Faster movement of electrons
Student F's response suggests that an accurate explanation for why conductivity increases with increasing
temperature is needed. Student F did not recognize that, while temperature affects the thermal motion of electrons,
the change in the balance between electrons in the valence and conduction bands primarily influences conductivity
in semiconductors.
Furthermore, student G provided an answer which stated that:
“As the temperature increases, semiconductors eventually become conductors. This is because higher
temperatures increase the number of charge carriers in the conduction band, thus increasing the object's
conductivity” (Student G answer).
Identified Misconception 7: Semiconductors become metals at high temperatures.
Student G's answer did not reveal that while higher temperatures increase the number of charge carriers
in the conduction band, semiconductors do not transform into metals solely because of temperature changes. The
distinction between semiconductors and metals is based on their intrinsic properties and band gaps, not just on
temperature.
Student H, in providing an answer to this item, also stated: “Temperature increases the number of
electrons in the conduction band, therefore increasing the conductivity of the conductor” (Student H’s answer).
Identified Misconception 8: Addition of electrons
The quote from student H also failed to reveal that while the temperature can promote some electrons to
the conduction band through thermal excitation, it does not create new electrons. The total number of electrons
remains constant.
Question 6: Explain why a transistor has a thin base.
Common students’ response: Again, in the interview session, students revealed common
misconceptions concerning this item. For instance, student I stated, “The base of a transistor is thin to increase
the amplification of the device. So, a thicker base would result in lower amplification” (Student I’s answer).
Identified Misconception 9: Base Thickness Affects Amplification
From Student I's response, it can be deduced that the student did not know the function of a transistor's
base. Student, I did not understand that the primary function of the thin base is to control the flow of current
between the emitter and collector regions, not to enhance amplification.
Likewise, student J's response to this item was that: “A thin base allows more electrons to pass through
it. Therefore, reducing the thickness of the base leads to higher current flow” (Student J's answer).

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Identified Misconception 10: A thin base allows for the flow of electrons.
From student J's response, it could be seen that the student wrongly attributed the nature of the base to
the current flow instead of acknowledging that the base's thinness is related to the control of minority carriers
(holes or electrons), not the overall current flow.
Furthermore, student K's response to this item revealed a misconception. Student K's response was as
follows: “The type of transistor (NPN or PNP) is determined solely by the thickness of the base. That is, a thin
base corresponds to an NPN transistor and a thick base to a PNP transistor” (Student K’s answer).
Identified Misconception 11: The base's thickness determines the transistor type.
Student K also, from the above quote, should have given the correct scientific explanation for item 6. In
reality, the transistor type is determined by the arrangement of the layers and the types of semiconductor materials
used, not by the thickness of the base.
Question 10: How can normal temperature affect the conductivity of an insulator such as polythene?
Typical student response: In the interview session, the students revealed common misconceptions about
this item. For example, student L stated: “Ordinary temperature can transform an insulator into a conductor of
electricity. This is because, at ordinary temperatures, insulators become hot and start conducting electricity just
like metals” (Student L’s answer).
Identified Misconception 12: Heat changes an insulator to a conductor.
From the quote of Student L, one could decipher that the student thinks it is heat that changes an insulator
into a conductor. Therefore, any amount of heat can change an insulator into a conductor. Student L needed to
understand what atomic changes occur within the heated substance and, therefore, could not acknowledge that
ordinary temperatures have no significant effect in changing insulators into conductors. This is because, at ordinary
temperatures, an insulator has no free-moving electrons and, therefore, has negligible electrical conductivity.
However, at high temperatures, some electrons gain energy and break away from the influence of the nucleus,
becoming free electrons that can conduct electricity.
Student M also responded, “At normal temperatures, the conductivity of an insulator increases. This
happens because an insulator has some conductivity property, but the extent to which it conducts heat or electricity
increases under normal temperatures. This is because electrons within the material become free after heating,
which will cause the material's conductivity to increase” (Student M’s answer).
Identified Misconception 13: Normal temperature increases the conductivity of the insulators.
Student M also did not acknowledge that
The answer from student M also revealed the inability to acknowledge that ordinary temperatures do not
affect the conductivity of insulators, instead, the conductivity of an insulator increases with increasing temperature.
Student N also answered item 10, which stated: “Normal temperatures will cause an insulator to melt,
which will turn into a liquid, of which we all know that a liquid can conduct heat and electricity. So, at normal
temperature, the conductivity of an insulator increases” (Student N’s answer).
Identified Misconception 14: Normal temperature changes the state of an insulator.
The answer from student N also needs more accurate scientific reasoning behind the effect of temperature
on insulators. Student N did not refer to the internal atomic changes of the material under temperature. Instead,
student N referred to the change of state of an insulator under temperature, after which the student linked it to a
property of the new state of the insulator after it was heated. What student N needed to recognize was the fact that
insulators have a small number of electrons, which, when exposed to high temperatures, could be free to conduct
heat or electricity.
This aspect of the study's findings supports previous research on student misconceptions about electronic
concepts. For example, Nelson et al. and Erceg et al., reported that students believed that the conductivity of
semiconductors increases with temperature, mainly due to an increase in the number of one type of free charge
carrier [6], [5]. Again, Erceg et al., reported that students thought that increasing the temperature increased the
number of free electrons in a conductor, hence increasing the conductivity of a conductor [5]. The misconceptions
students portray indicate that some arise because they have not grasped the concepts well enough, partly due to
the teaching methods instructors employ in teaching some concepts [31]. For example, in a study by Widiyatmoko
and Shimizu, students claimed that they memorized physics concepts because their teachers' teaching methods did
not help them understand the material [32]. Karaarslan and Çetin revealed similar findings, where physics students
claimed their teachers only lectured in class with little or no participation in the teaching and learning activities
[33]. This leads to incomplete or no understanding of the concepts learned, triggering the development of
misconceptions or alternative understandings of the subject matter.

3.2. Conceptual Change in Electronics Concepts after the Application of the ADDIE Instructional Design
Model
The second part of the analysis aimed to determine how using the ADDIE model had helped students
clear their misconceptions identified before the intervention. Consequently, using the students' responses from the
ECT, the answers to each item were classified as misconceptions and scientific understanding, as explained in

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Section 3.1. Table 4 shows the quantitative results of the students' misconceptions and their scientific
understanding of each item after the intervention.

Table 4. Quantitative Results of Students’ Misconceptions and Scientific Understanding of Electronics

Concepts After Intervention
Item* NSEM (N=101) % rank NSHSU (N=101) % rank χ2 df p
1 40 39.60 5 61 60.40 6 54.529 2 0.001
2 39 38.61 6 62 61.39 5 55.824 2 0.001
3 29 28.71 10 72 71.29 1 75.235 2 0.001
4 41 40.59 4 60 59.41 7 53.353 2 0.001
5 49 48.51 1 52 51.49 10 48.176 2 0.001
6 46 45.54 2 55 54.46 9 49.235 2 0.001
7 38 37.62 7 63 62.38 4 57.235 2 0.001
8 42 41.58 3 59 58.42 8 52.294 2 0.001
9 37 36.63 8 64 63.37 3 58.765 2 0.001
10 35 34.65 9 66 65.35 2 62.176 2 0.001
NSEM - Number of Students Exhibiting Misconception
NSESU – Number of Students Exhibiting Scientific Understanding
*Refer to Table 1 for the questions.

In Table 4, a chi-square test for independence indicated a significant association between each item and
the category of students’ responses (misconception and scientific understanding). As observed in Table 4,
significantly low percentages of students generally had misconceptions about electronics after introducing the
ADDIE model. This is because the percentage of students who exhibited misconceptions about all the items in the
ECT after the intervention ranged from 28.71% to 48.51%. Table 4 also reveals that the most significant percentage
of students (48.51%) exhibited misconceptions on item 5, while the lowest percentage (28.71%) was on item 3.
On the contrary, Table 4 shows that students generally demonstrated high percentages of scientific
understanding of electronics concepts after the intervention, with the percentage of students having a scientific
understanding of electronics concepts ranging from 51.49% to 71.29%. The highest percentage of students
(71.29%) demonstrated a scientific understanding of item 3, while the lowest percentage demonstrated a scientific
understanding of item 5.
The results in Tables 3 and 4 were compared to determine the ADDIE model's effect on students'
conceptual change in electronics concepts, as shown in Table 5.

Table 5. Comparison of the percentage of students who demonstrated misconceptions and scientific
understanding before and after intervention
*Item Mis. before Mis. after % SU before SU after % change
intervention intervention change intervention intervention
1 95 40 -57.89 6 61 916.67
2 73 39 -46.58 28 62 121.43
3 80 29 -63.75 21 72 242.86
4 81 41 -49.38 20 60 200.00
5 79 49 -37.97 22 52 136.36
6 75 46 -38.67 26 55 111.54
7 83 38 -54.22 18 63 250.00
8 72 42 -41.67 29 59 103.45
9 76 37 -51.32 25 64 156.00
10 95 35 -63.16 6 66 1000.00
Mis. – Number of students exhibiting misconception
SU – Number of students demonstrating scientific understanding
% change – percentage change
*Refer to Table 1 for the questions.

As seen in Table 5, in the ten items, there was a decrease in the percentage of students who exhibited
misconceptions after the intervention, hence the negative percentage changes in the ten items. However, there was
an increase in the percentage of students who exhibited scientific understanding in each item after the intervention,
hence the positive percentage changes observed across the ten items. The highest percentage change (decrease) in
the misconception category was observed in item 3 (-63.75%), while the most minor decrease was observed in
item 5 (-37.97%). Also, the highest percentage change (increase) in the scientific understanding category was
observed in item 10 (1000.00%), while the lowest percentage increase was observed in item 8 (103.45%).

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84  ISSN: 2716-1587
The effect of the ADDIE instructional design model in enhancing students' conceptual change across the
ten items after the intervention was tested using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test on the difference in the percentage
of students who exhibited scientific understanding before and after the intervention. The results are presented in
Table 6.

Table 6. Results for Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test

Scientific understanding after – scientific understanding before
Z -2.805
Asymp. Sig. (2-tailed) 0.002

From Table 6, the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test revealed a statistically significant increase in the
percentage of students who exhibited scientific understanding after the intervention (z = –2.805, p =0.002). The
negative z-value means that, on average, the ranks (absolute values) of positive differences (indicating
improvement) are higher than the ranks of negative differences (indicating worsening). This means there were
more significant decreases in the percentage of students with misconceptions after the intervention than increases.
To determine the magnitude of the effect of the intervention, which was considered in this study to constitute the
conceptual change, an effect size statistic was calculated using the formula shown in (1) by substituting the
respective values into (1) gives r = 0.89. The effect size of 0.89 obtained for scientific understanding, according
to Cohen, Manion, and Morrison, indicates a significant effect and, for extrapolation, a sizeable conceptual change
[32].
𝑍
𝑟= …(1)
√𝑁
where r = effect size statistic;
Z = absolute z-value from the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test = 2.805
N = number of pairs of observations (items) = 10.

Graphical representation was also provided to visualize the change in the percentage of students who
demonstrated misconceptions across the ten items in the ECT before and after the use of the ADDIE instructional
design model, as shown in Figure 1.

100

90

80
Percentage of Students

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Item 1 Item 2 Item 3 Item 4 Item 5 Item 6 Item 7 Item 8 Item 9 Item
10

Misconception Before ADDIE Misconception After ADDIE

Figure 1. Percentage of students who demonstrate misconceptions about ECT items before and
after exposure to the ADDIE model

Figure 4.1 shows that a higher percentage of students demonstrated misconceptions about all the items
before the intervention than after the intervention. However, after introducing the ADDIE instructional design
model, the percentage of students who demonstrated misconceptions about all items was significantly reduced,
indicating that the students exhibited a conceptual change in electronic concepts, as shown in Figure 2.
Sch. Jo. Phs. Ed, Vol. 5, No. 3, September 2024: 76 - 87
Sch. Jo. Phs. Ed ISSN: 2716-1587  85

80

70

60
Percentage of Students

50

40

30

20

10

0
Item 1 Item 2 Item 3 Item 4 Item 5 Item 6 Item 7 Item 8 Item 9 Item 10

Scientific Understanding Before ADDIE Scientific Understanding After ADDIE

Figure 2. Percentage of students who demonstrate scientific understanding of ECT items before and after
exposure to the ADDIE model

As shown in Figure 2, the percentages of students who had a scientific understanding of all elements of
the Electronic Concepts Test were lower before using the ADDIE model, but after introducing the ADDIE model,
the percentages of students who demonstrated a scientific understanding of electronic concepts increased for all
elements.
Concerning this second aspect of the study, the significantly reduced percentage observed in students'
misunderstanding and the significantly increased percentage of students who exhibited scientific understanding
after the intervention could be interpreted as a conceptual change after using the ADDIE instructional design to
teach electronics. Specifically, the significant effect size reported in this study means that the ADDIE instructional
design model significantly contributed to promoting the conceptual change of SHS physics students in the
electronics concepts considered in this study. This finding agrees with Alnajdi, Moral et al., Li and Abidin,
Sarkodie, Sial, et al., and Asuncion, who found similar results and concluded that the use of ADDIE as a teaching
method has positive effects on student performance [16]-[18], [24]-[26]. The reason for this positive effect
observed from the use of the ADDIE model on the conceptual change of the students was that the ADDIE
instructional design ensures that the students felt about the material through concrete experiences, as well as
supplementing teaching and learning with audio and visual resources, such as videos and tutorials [21]. While
previous studies focused on overall academic performance, with an apparent scarcity of studies focusing on physics
students using the ADDIE instructional design model, this study focused on enhancing conceptual change, thereby
revealing the misconceptions students demonstrate in electronics. This study adds to the body of knowledge in
literature by providing evidence to support the ADDIE instructional design model, particularly in enhancing the
conceptual change of SHS physics students in the Tano North Municipality.
One of the limitations of this study stems from the fact that it was restricted to only final-year SHS physics
students in the Tano North Municipality. As a result, the study's findings cannot be extrapolated to other physics
students in the municipality and other districts or municipalities in Ghana. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the
intervention would have been fully understood if in-depth opinions from participants had been collected on using
the ADDIE instructional design model to enhance their conceptual change in electronics concepts. Therefore, it is
recommended that further studies should be conducted in different geographical areas and at different educational
levels by soliciting students' opinions on the use of the ADDIE instructional design model in teaching and learning.

4. CONCLUSION
Based on the findings of this study, it can therefore be concluded, though cautiously, that the utilization
of the ADDIE instructional design model could be effective in enhancing conceptual change of final year SHS
physics students in the teaching and learning of electronics concepts in the Tano North Municipality. Subsequently,
the researchers recommended the ADDIE instructional design model to SHS physics teachers in the Tano North
Municipality who wish to reduce their students' misconceptions about electronics concepts.

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86  ISSN: 2716-1587
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Efficacy of ADDIE Instructional Design in Promoting Conceptual Change in Electronic … (Daniel Amankwaah)