Jeffrey Nordine, Marcus Kubsch, David Fortus, Joseph Krajcik, Knut Neumann

Original article: Nordine, J., Kubsch, M., Fortus, D., Krajcik, J., & Neumann, K. (2024). Middle school students' use of the energy concept to engage in new learning: What ideas matter? Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 61(9), 2191–2222. 
https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21950

Helping students build a strong understanding of key science concepts is essential for effective science teaching. One of the most important and challenging ideas in K–12 science education is energy. While traditional science lessons often focus on identifying energy "forms" (like electrical or thermal) and how energy transforms between them, this approach has shown limited success in helping students apply energy concepts to real-world phenomena.

The authors’ research shows that a shift in how we teach energy—moving away from forms and focusing instead on energy transfers within and between systems—can significantly improve how middle school students learn and apply energy ideas.

We compared two approaches to middle school energy instruction:

1. Traditional instruction that emphasizes energy forms and transformations.
2. Systems-based instruction that emphasizes energy transfers between and within systems.

We wanted to see which approach better prepared students to use their energy knowledge when encountering new, everyday science phenomena—like those found in articles or YouTube science videos.

Key Findings for the Classroom
Students taught using the energy transfer approach:

• Were more successful at using their prior knowledge to make sense of new energy-related situations.
• Showed stronger engagement and deeper learning when interpreting compelling science phenomena.
• Activated more scientifically productive energy ideas during assessments.

This suggests that teaching energy through the lens of energy transfer across systems helps students think more flexibly and apply their knowledge to new problems—an essential goal in three-dimensional science instruction aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

Instructional Takeaways for Teachers

• Consider designing lessons that focus on how energy moves through systems rather than labeling forms of energy.
• Use real-world phenomena and multimedia (articles, videos) to prompt student thinking and support new learning.
• Integrate formative assessments that ask students to apply previous energy ideas to novel situations—this can offer valuable insights into how well they’re connecting concepts.

Keywords: physical science, phenomena, three-dimensional learning, energy, formative assessment