Exploring Indigenous Game-based Physics Activities in Pre-Service Physics Teachers' Conceptual Change and Transformation of Epistemic Beliefs

Laro-ng-Lahi (Indigenous Filipino game) based physics activities invigorated the integration of culture in the pre-service physics education to develop students' epistemic beliefs and the notion of conceptual understanding through conceptual change. The study conveniently involved 28 pre-service undergraduate physics students enrolled in an introductory physics course in a Philippine university. Context-culture-based framework dictated how the traditional Filipino games blend with Newtonian concept formation to motivate conditions and conceptual ecology for conceptual change to occur. These physics activities conducted by the participants in each session directed their explicit learning of Mechanics concepts. Pre-post-test design using the Force Concept Inventory and Epistemological Beliefs Assessment for Physical Science detected the participants' conceptual change and epistemic beliefs improvement respectively. Qualitative data from student interviews and journal insights supplemented the quantitative data. Results showed that these physics activities indicated significant change in the students' conception interpreted as conceptual change. The study also indicated incremental development of epistemic beliefs, however, the progress observed was not statistically significant. Consequently, it is recommended that sustained and prolonged exposure of pre-service undergraduate physics students to culture-influenced instructional designs may lead to eventually developing sophisticated epistemic belief systems consequently providing better teaching and learning framework and service for quality education.