Examination of pre-service physics teachers’ cognitive structures of electric field

This study aims to examine the pre-service physics teachers’ cognitive structure related to the concepts of electric field and charge. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants to collect the data used to determine their cognitive structures. The collected data were transcribed and transferred into the computer medium and were analyzed by using the content analysis method. The cognitive structure of the 19 pre-service physics teachers was revealed according to the examination of their understanding level about the relationship between electric field and charge concepts. In conclusion, it was found that only one participant’s understanding level was in “Sound Understanding”. However, the understanding level of two participants who didn’t unable to answer some parts of the questions correctly was in “Partial Understanding”. Moreover, it was found that 10 participants’ understanding level were determined as “Alternative Conception” level according to their unscientifically answers to the questions and six participants were in “Partial Understanding with Specific Alternative Conception” level. The alternative conceptions determined in this study predominantly stemmed from the participants’ idea that the point charge wouldn’t generate an electric field.