Technology-Enhanced Constructivist Instruction for Thermal Science Learning in Primary Education: Evidence from Two Independent Cohorts

Thermal phenomena are conceptually challenging for primary-school students because everyday interpretations of heat, temperature, heat transfer, and changes of state often differ from scientific explanations. This study examined a technology-enhanced constructivist instructional model for teaching thermal science to sixth-grade students across two independent cohorts. The study involved 88 students in Greece: 42 in the first cohort (21 experimental, 21 control) and 46 in the second (23 experimental, 23 control). The experimental groups participated in a 10-hour instructional sequence integrating concept mapping, the SEP digital simulation environment, inquiry-based worksheets, collaborative investigation, and Wordwall game-based activities, while the control groups followed conventional textbook-based instruction. Post-instructional performance was assessed across eight conceptual categories using a four-level ordinal coding scheme. Given the ordinal nature and non-normal distribution of the data, between-group comparisons were examined primarily through Mann–Whitney U tests. Significant differences favoring the experimental groups were replicated across both cohorts for thermometer identification, reasoning about heat transfer in an everyday context, changes of state, the distinction between evaporation and boiling, and thermal expansion and contraction. The distinction between evaporation and boiling showed particularly strong and consistent group differentiation across both cohorts. These findings support the educational value of integrating digital investigation, game-based activities, and constructivist inquiry within a coherent instructional sequence for primary thermal science education.