NAIVE BELIEFS ABOUT PHYSICS AND EDUCATION
David Hestenes, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Arizona State University
ABSTRACT
"Naive beliefs about the physical world" is the most thoroughly investigated subject in physics education research, leading to the following firm conclusions: (1) The beliefs of beginning students are generally incompatible with physics theory. (2) These beliefs are changed only slightly by a year of traditional physics instruction. (3) This conclusion is independent of the instructor and his mode of instruction, except that (4) better results can be achieved by instruction carefully designed to address the problem. The implications of these results for science education could hardly be more serious. However, there is a similar but more fundamental problem with broader educational implications: Teachers as well as students have naive beliefs about knowing and learning that interfere with the development of intellectual skills. This problem has not been addressed in most science curricula, teaching practices and educational policy.
About the speaker
David Hestenes received his PhD in theoretical physics from UCLA (1963) and, after a postdoctoral stint at Princeton, his home base has been the Physics Department at Arizona State University since 1966. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, but his research is interdisciplinary; it involves all aspects of scientific thinking, including design and use of mathematical systems, cognitive processes, brain mechanisms, and applications to learning and teaching. The principal theme of his research in physics and mathematics has been the programmatic development and application of Geometric Algebra and Calculus as a unified mathematical language for physics (Details at http://modelingnts.la.asu.edu/). The principal theme of his research in physics education has been development of a Modeling Theory of Science Instruction, with extensive applications to instruction in introductory physics at both university and high school levels. This produced the only secondary science program in the US to receive an Exemplary rating from the U.S. Department of Education. In recognition of his influential contributions to physics education, Hestenes was awarded the 2002 Oersted Medal from the American Association of Physics Teachers and the 2003 Educational Research Achievement Award from the Council of Scientific Society Presidents. Previous Oersted Medalists include Carl Sagan, John Wheeler, Richard Feynman and several other Nobel Prize winners. Information about Modeling Instruction is available at http://modeling.asu.edu/.
This seminar will take place on Tuesday 21st April 09 at 14:00 at The Open University, Milton Keynes. Lunch will be provided, please confirm your attendance and any special dietary requirements by emailing Diane Ford at [email protected] by Friday 10th April 09.