Abstract It is often taken for gran

Abstract
It is often taken for granted that students who are enrolled in a said
Bachelor’s Degree course in a university should have a much better understanding of
the said subject then when they were in school. Studies conducted have shown that
this may not necessarily be the case. They are often unable to apply the concepts
that have been studied in the introductory Physics course to the task of solving
related problems. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the level of Newtonian
Physics conceptual understanding of university students enrolled in Science
Education courses in order to investigate their preparedness in becoming future
Physics teachers. This survey-based study involved a sample of 200 third-year
B.Sc.Ed students from three universities in Malaysia. Data collected from the Test of
Conceptual Understanding of Newtonian Physics was analyzed descriptively and
inferentially to determine the level of the students’ Newtonian Physics conceptual
understanding. The findings confirmed that generally, undergraduates’ students are
still having problems to conceptually understand physics concepts taught at them.
Keywords: Conceptual understanding of Newtonian Physics, B.Sc. Ed. Students,
Physics Education
Introduction
Conceptual understanding of Newtonian Physics in its most basic form means
understanding the principles of science, especially the concepts of Newtonian Laws
used to explain and predict observations of the natural world and knowing how to
apply this understanding efficiently in the design and execution of scientific
investigations and in practical reasoning (NAEP, 2005). Girad and Wong (2002) state
that conceptual understanding requires both knowledge of and the ability to use
scientific concepts to develop mental models about the way the world operates in
accordance with a current scientific theory. It is important to ensure the mastery of
science concepts among students (NAEP, 2005). Furthermore, it develops a student’s
ability to apply facts and events learned from science instruction and from personal
experiences with the natural environment, to use scientific concepts, principles,
laws, and theories that scientists use to explain and predict observations from the
natural world.