The resaarch was carried out fifteen participants including five undergraduate, six graduate, three research assistants an done science educator. The aim of the research is to analyze the thoughts of the participants about the concept of buoyancy by the phenomenlogical method. The participant were inclueded in the clinical interview process with a group of questions regarding the buoyancy. A clinical interview was conducted with participants abput twenty minıtes and it was drilled questions by improvisation according to the responses of the participants. Thus it had been tried to reveal the comprehensive thoughts of induviduals towards understanding. The raw qualitative data of the research were analyzed according to diSessa’s knowledge in pieces theory andVosniadou’s theory-like knowledge structure theory. In the responses given to the problem contexts questioning the buoyancy-mass relationship of the buoyancy (Part I), a total of 11 participants showed cognitive inconsistency; 4 participants showed cognitive consistency. Regarding problem contexts that question the relationship of buoyancy-sinking volume (Part II), 9 participants responded with inconsistency, 6 participants showed consistency in their responses. At the same time the responses of undergraduates, graduates, research assistants were identified and these findings are in concordance with dSessa’s knowledge in pieces theory for same question parts. İn addition, it was concluded that the answers of the educator were consistent and coherent with Vosniadou’s theory-like theory of knowledge structure. The findings of the research were discussed in a way that will refer to classroom teaching-learning processes and contribute to the quality of the experimental activity contents used in science education.

Science education, buoyancy, conceptual change theories, phenomenological primitives