Comparison of the Effects of Stories and Digital Stories Containing Refutation Texts on Conceptual Understanding and Correction of Misconceptions in Primary Science Education

Addressing misconceptions is widely recognized as important for effective science learning. Refutation texts have been shown to reduce incorrect beliefs and enhance conceptual understanding. This quasi-experimental study examined the effects of the knowledge revision components (KReC) framework, digital stories containing refutation texts (DSRT), printed stories containing refutation texts (SRT), and a curriculum-based teaching method without refutation texts (TMC), on fourth-grade students’ conceptual understanding and misconceptions about Earth’s crust and movements. A pretest-posttest design was implemented with 156 students, using a three-tier test to assess their conceptual understanding and misconceptions. Results indicated that both DSRT and SRT significantly reduced misconceptions compared to TMC; however, neither intervention led to a statistically significant increase in conceptual understanding. These findings suggest the effectiveness of refutation texts in digital and narrative formats while emphasizing the need for further research on instructional design, learner characteristics, and long-term knowledge retention in science education.