A Study on the Conceptual Understanding Level of the Students of Trained and Untrained Physics Teachers

The study investigated the conceptual understanding level of 10thgrade students of trained and untrained Physics teachers in boys’ secondary schools of district Karak, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-Pakistan. The objectives of the study were; (1) to find out the conceptual understanding level of the students of trained Physics teachers; (2) to investigate the conceptual understanding level of the students of untrained Physics teachers; and, (3) to explore the difference between the conceptual understanding levels of the students of trained and untrained teachers of Physics.Descriptive Research Strategy was used. Population of the study was all the 10th grade students of trained and untrained Physics teachers of district Karak. Multistage sampling technique was used and total 400 students were selected randomly as sample of the study. A self-developed test was administered as an instrument for the collection of data. The test covered the contents of physical quantities, properties of matter, force, work, power and energy and gravitation.The results of the study revealed that in the selected contents, the overall conceptual understanding of the students of trained Physics teachers was hardly satisfactory. While the conceptual understanding level of the students of untrained Physics teachers was good. Although there was no vital difference, however, the conceptual understanding level of the students of trained Physics teachers was comparatively poorer than the conceptual understanding level of the students of untrained Physics teachers.