The use of guided inquiry-based learning (GIBL) in a manner designed to challenge individual students’ unscientific conceptions of science, has been researched widely. However, few (if any) studies have investigated the implementation of GIBL in a manner designed to challenge the fundamental patterns of students’ context-dependent unscientific conceptions of science. This study investigates the effect of GIBL on transforming the fundamental patterns of Ethiopian eighth-grade students’ context-dependent conceptions, schemes of knowledge, about vision. The study used a quasi-experimental pre–post design with a mixed method approach. We measured conceptual change using qualitative and quantitative assessments based on facet-scheme frequencies. Treatment-group students’ conceptions expressed in a facet-scheme structure were compared with those of students receiving conventional instruction (CI). Before instruction, both student groups subscribed to spontaneous (observer not connected with the object/image) and inclusive (observer incorrectly connected with the object/image) vision schemes. After instruction, the frequencies of these schemes were decreased to a greater extent among GIBL students than CI students. The scientific scheme was observed with more frequency among GIBL students than CI students. We therefore conclude that GIBL transformed the students’ schemes of knowledge from unscientific to scientific to a greater extent than CI. The study points out vital practical implications for educators.

Studies have reported that students find geometric optics topics difficult partly because of representations in textbooks. In Ethiopia, textbooks are the main source of content in schools. Therefore, a study of how textbooks present certain topics can shed light on students’ learning difficulties. This study specifically examines how image formation–observation is presented in Ethiopian textbooks and how these representations might be the possible causes of students’ learning difficulties. Sixth-, eighth-, and tenth-grade physics textbook chapters containing topics related to image were analyzed. The analysis followed a directed approach to qualitative content analysis. The results show that textbooks sometimes contain explanations that explicitly clarify pictorials and are consistently integrated. However, the textbooks also contain implicit, missing, and incorrect verbal representations as well as incomplete, selective, and patterned pictorial representations that are presented inconsistently. Moreover, the textbooks rarely show alternative representations that complement the problematic representations, hence limiting their misinterpretations. Students may intuitively interpret implicit, selective, and patterned representations that may not conform to scientific concepts. Similarly, incorrect, missing, and incomplete representations could be seen as a direct source of students’ misconceptions. The results suggest that authors and teachers of optics textbooks should be aware of students’ learning difficulties because of representations and should emphasize alternative representations.