Effect of Real-life Application-based Classroom Activities on Engineering Students’ Conceptual Understanding of Electromagnetism: A Case of Rwanda Polytechnic, Huye Campus

Janvier Kabalisa – African Centre of Excellence for Innovative Teaching and Learning Mathematics and Science (ACEITLMS), University of Rwanda-College of Education, Rwanda.
Peter Gapfizi – African Centre of Excellence for Innovative Teaching and Learning Mathematics and Science (ACEITLMS), University of Rwanda-College of Education, Rwanda.
Jean Uwamahoro – African Centre of Excellence for Innovative Teaching and Learning Mathematics and Science (ACEITLMS), University of Rwanda-College of Education, Rwanda.
Claude Jean Uwayezu – Rwanda Polytechnic, IPRC Gishari, Rwanda
Email: janvykabalisa@gmail.com

Abstract: The abstract and microscopic character of some physics concepts, make it difficult for pupils to acquire them conceptually. The current study sought to determine how engineering students’ conceptual grasp of electromagnetism was affected by learning through real-life application-based classroom activities. Seventy-three (73) students successfully completed the study at IPRC Huye, with 35 in the experimental group and 38 in the control group. In experimental group, the teaching intervention used real-world applications, whereas the control got conventional instruction. Two physics teachers gave lectures on magnetostatics, current electricity, electrostatics, and electromagnetic induction. The conceptual assessment of electricity and magnetism. Independent sample t-test and normalized learning gain were all used in the analysis. Mean mark in pre-test for both control and experimental group are 31.5 and 33.5 respectively and significant value p=0.679 which meant that there was no significant different in conceptual understanding between the groups before the treatment. The mean mark after treatment was found to be 52.44 and 68.5 respectively and significant value p= 0.00 which indicated that there was a significant different in conceptual understanding of electromagnetism between control and experimental group after intervention. Despite being both categorized as being in the medium category, the major findings showed that students in the experimental group increased their conceptual knowledge of electromagnetism more than those in the control group (𝑔𝑎𝑣 = 0.520 > 𝑔𝑎𝑣 = 0.31).The findings of this study concluded that hands-on exercises that linked ideas of electricity and magnetism were noted as the most interesting by students and physics teachers.