Abstract:

The teaching and learning of basic electrical concepts continues to pose significant challenges across all educational levels. Despite the increasing relevance of electrical technology in daily life and in technical professions, research consistently shows the persistence of misconceptions and fragmented understandings related to electric charge, current and circuits. This study presents a comprehensive state-of-the-art review on the didactics of electrical technology, spanning from early childhood education to university, and complements it with empirical data obtained through a diagnostic questionnaire designed to detect learning difficulties among participants with diverse academic backgrounds.

The literature review reveals three major research strands:
(1) methodological innovations, including inquiry based learning, cooperative learning, flipped classroom approaches, and project based learning;
(2) persistent learning difficulties, such as interpreting current as a fluid, misunderstanding closed circuit requirements, and confusion between current and voltage; and
(3) teachers’ conceptions, often marked by incomplete conceptual understanding that may hinder effective instruction.

To explore these difficulties in a broader population, a brief four item questionnaire was distributed and responses were classified into groups according to academic background. Results demonstrate that misconceptions are widespread, even among participants with higher scientific or engineering training. While practical circuit related items showed comparatively higher success rates, theoretical questions on electricity revealed notable weaknesses and, in some groups, a high “false confidence index” when respondents felt certain about incorrect answers. These findings reinforce the need to revisit instructional approaches that rely heavily on procedural problem solving and to strengthen conceptual understanding across all levels of education.

This work contributes to the field by integrating a systematic review with original empirical evidence that highlights both enduring conceptual difficulties and structural gaps in research on electrotechnics education. Future lines include expanding the diagnostic instrument, conducting larger studies focused on early university cohorts, and designing research based educational interventions for early stage undergraduate engineering students. Overall, the study seeks to support educators in grounding their instructional practice in evidence and to stimulate renewed research interest in a discipline that is essential for scientific and technological literacy.

Keywords:

Electrical Technology Education, Learning Difficulties, Misconceptions.