AN ASTRONOMY LEARNING MODULE ON THE CELESTIAL SPHERE CELESTIAL COORDINATE SYSTEM AND OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES

Abstract

            This study aimed to 1) develop an educational innovation through the exploration and experimental study of the celestial sphere, celestial coordinate system, and observational astronomy by formulating core learning concepts; 2) construct a standardized learning module on the aforementioned topics; and 3) evaluate the effectiveness of the developed module among a specified target group. The research began with the identification and development of six core conceptual frameworks: 1) fundamental knowledge of celestial sphere parameters, 2) the horizon coordinate system, 3) star position determination using the horizon coordinate system, 4) the equatorial coordinate system, 5) star position determination using the equatorial coordinate system, and 6) practical sky observation. An affordable, simplified experimental tool—a model celestial sphere—was developed to support hands-on learning. The instructional module was structured into six sequential phases corresponding to the six core concepts. The module was implemented and evaluated with a sample of 50 undergraduate students enrolled in a Bachelor of Education (Science) program, selected through simple random sampling. Data collection employed a structured assessment tool, and statistical analysis included  percentages, means, standard deviations, and t tests for significance.
            The findings demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in the participants' conceptual understanding following the learning intervention. The mean pre-test score was 8.11 (SD=5.5625, SEM=0.7866), equivalent to 27.03% of the total score. The mean post-test score increased markedly to 28.86 (SD=1.7844, SEM=0.2523), or 96.20% of the maximum score of 30. The observed mean difference of -20.7500 (SD=5.6363, SEM=0.7970), with a  t value of -26.032 and 49 degrees of freedom, indicated a highly significant improvement. These results confirm that the learning module effectively enhanced learners’ explicit knowledge and achieved the intended educational objectives.