Research Article

Enhancing third-grade students’ academic achievement and scientific attitudes through experimental demonstrations on alternative energy in Arab-community schools

Muhamad Hugerat 1 2 * , Monaea Lafi 1 , Sare Asli 2 3
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1 The Academic Arab College for Education in Israel–Haifa, Haifa, ISRAEL2 The Science Education Center, The Institute of Applied Research, The Galilee Society, Shefa-Amr, ISRAEL3 Al-Qasemi Academic College, Baqa al-Gharbiyye, ISRAEL* Corresponding Author
European Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 14(1), January 2026, 148-161, https://doi.org/10.30935/scimath/17869
Published: 04 February 2026
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ABSTRACT

This study investigates the impact of experimental demonstrations on the academic achievement, conceptual understanding, and attitudes toward science of third-grade students, with a focus on alternative energy topics. Conducted in an Arab-community middle school in Northern Israel, the research involved 120 students, divided equally into an experimental group (n = 60) and a control group (n = 60). The experimental group received instruction through hands-on demonstrations related to solar, wind, hydropower, biomass, and geothermal energy, while the control group was taught using traditional methods. Employing a mixed-methods design, data were collected through academic tests, attitudinal questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews. The results showed that students in the experimental group achieved significantly higher post-intervention scores (mean [M] = 82.62, standard deviation [SD] = 12.93) compared to the control group (M = 71.28, SD = 15.06), with a statistically significant difference (t [118] = -2.58, p < .01). Additionally, the experimental group demonstrated a significantly greater understanding of alternative energy concepts (M = 3.27, SD = 0.42) than the control group (M = 2.82, SD = 0.53), (t [58] = -3.42, p < .001). Attitudinal measures also favored the experimental group (M = 3.34, SD = 0.44) over the control group (M = 3.09, SD = 0.64), with a significant difference (t [118] = -2.12, p < .05). These results advocate for integrating demonstration-based teaching to enhance science education outcomes, particularly in sustainability topics.
Keywords: alternative energy, experimental demonstrations, science education, academic achievement, student attitudes, experimental demonstrations

CITATION (APA)

Hugerat, M., Lafi, M., & Asli, S. (2026). Enhancing third-grade students’ academic achievement and scientific attitudes through experimental demonstrations on alternative energy in Arab-community schools. European Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 14(1), 148-161. https://doi.org/10.30935/scimath/17869

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