Abstract

For decades, students’ misconceptions have been investigated and recorded. However, in recent years, the design of teaching methodologies has also taken these empirical findings into consideration. This study investigates Greek preservice primary teachers’ misconceptions of thermal concepts and their ability to apply their knowledge to explain phenomena and problems of everyday life. The results revealed that preservice primary teachers hold numerous alternative conceptions of heat-related phenomena and concepts. Only a limited number of them can apply their scientific knowledge to explain everyday phenomena. Findings from the scenario-based questions, which required students to select the appropriate concept from a list of options and then explain the phenomenon described, align with existing literature. Students’ responses highlighted the coexistence of two culturally driven situations, i.e., scientific knowledge acquired in the classroom and everyday knowledge shaped by their sociocultural environment. The study’s analysis raises questions about whether the school environment meets the needs of modern society in terms of adequately equipping the future citizens of our country with scientific literacy skills. Furthermore, it points to the necessity of curricula reforms for students to be able to respond to rapidly changing scientific and technological developments, providing them with the necessary resources to interpret, judge, and evaluate daily life problems.