A Synthesis of Discipline-Based Education Research in Physics Jennifer L

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

A Synthesis of Discipline-Based Education Research in Physics Jennifer L A Synthesis of Discipline-Based Education Research in Physics Jennifer L. Docktor & José P. Mestre University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Introduction................................................................................................................................2 Conceptual Change.....................................................................................................................4 Misconceptions.....................................................................................................................11 Knowledge in Pieces or Resources........................................................................................12 Ontological Categories..........................................................................................................12 Problem Solving.......................................................................................................................19 Expert-Novice Studies..........................................................................................................25 Worked Examples.................................................................................................................26 Representations.....................................................................................................................28 Mathematics in Physics.........................................................................................................29 Instructional Strategies..........................................................................................................31 Curriculum & Instruction in Physics.........................................................................................44 Lecture-based Methods.........................................................................................................49 Recitation or Discussion Methods.........................................................................................52 Laboratory Methods..............................................................................................................53 Structural Changes to the Classroom Environment................................................................56 General Instructional Strategies and Materials.......................................................................59 Assessment...............................................................................................................................78 Development and Validation of Concept Inventories.............................................................82 Comparing Scores Across Multiple Measures.......................................................................86 Comparing Scores Across Multiple Populations....................................................................87 Course Exams and Homework..............................................................................................89 Rubrics for Process Assessment............................................................................................91 Complex Models of Student Learning...................................................................................92 Cognition................................................................................................................................103 Knowledge and Memory.....................................................................................................109 Attention.............................................................................................................................110 Reasoning and Problem Solving..........................................................................................112 Learning..............................................................................................................................113 Attitudes and Beliefs about Learning and Teaching.................................................................122 Student Attitudes and Beliefs about Learning Physics.........................................................126 Faculty Beliefs and Values about Teaching and Learning....................................................132 Instructor Implementations of Reformed Curricula..............................................................134 Teaching Assistants.............................................................................................................136 Summary & Conclusions........................................................................................................141 Summary of Research in Physics Education from a Historical Perspective..........................141 What Distinguishes PER from Other DBER Fields?............................................................143 Future Directions in Physics Education Research................................................................144 Physics Education Research - 1 Introduction This paper synthesizes physics education research (PER) at the undergraduate level, and was commissioned by the National Research Council to inform a study on the Status, Contributions, and Future Directions of Discipline Based Education Research (DBER)—a comprehensive examination of the research on learning and teaching in physics and astronomy, the biological sciences, chemistry, engineering, and the geosciences at the undergraduate level. PER is a relatively new field that is about 40 years old, yet it is relatively more mature than its sister fields in biology, chemistry, engineering, astronomy, and geosciences education research. Although much is known about physics teaching and learning, much remains to be learned. This paper discusses some of what the PER field has come to understand about learners, learning, and instruction in six general topical areas described below. Topical Areas Covered and Organization Given the breadth and scope of PER to date, we organize our synthesis around six topical areas that capture most of the past research in physics education: conceptual change, problem solving, curriculum and instruction, assessment, cognition, and attitudes and beliefs about learning and teaching. To ensure consistency in the presentation and to aid the DBER Committee in its charge, each of the six topical areas was organized under the following sections: research questions; theoretical framework; methodology, data collection/sources and data analysis; findings; strengths and limitations; areas for future studies; references. Unlike traditional scholarly papers where all references are included at the end, we included references at the end of each of the six sections for convenience. The topical areas and organization were arrived at through consensus discussions between the two authors and in consultation with the DBER study director and Committee chair. Although we did not place any restrictions on the dates of the research studies covered, the great majority of the studies cited are within the last 20 years, and the great majority of studies cited were done in the US. In addition to the six topical areas, we provide a Summary & Conclusions section at the very end. Equally important to stating what this paper is covering is stating what has been left out, not by our choice but rather because of the Committee’s focus and needs. We did not include the following: pre-college physics education research, research related to physics teacher preparation Physics Education Research - 2 or physics teacher curriculum, or “how to” articles describing research analysis (e.g., ways of analyzing video interviews of students). The coverage herein is meant to be representative, not exhaustive. We apologize if we have left out a particular researcher’s favorite work—if we did, it was not intentional. Possible Uses of this Synthesis We envision multiple uses of this synthesis. First, it is meant to help the DBER Committee in its charge and deliberations. Second, it serves as a historical account of the field, taking stock in where PER has been and where it currently is. In addition, it provides a perspective of the status of other discipline-based education research relative to physics. Finally, the synthesis is an excellent resource for graduate students in PER, for graduate students or physics instructors in traditional physics areas who are interested in an overview of the PER field, and indeed to practicing PER faculty who may want to use it as a reference guide or as a resource in teaching graduate seminar on PER. Physics Education Research - 3 Conceptual Change Conceptual development and conceptual change are among the most widely studied areas in physics education research. Starting in the 1970s, as researchers and instructors became increasingly aware of the difficulties students had in grasping fairly fundamental concepts (e.g., that contact forces do not exert forces at a distance; that interacting bodies exert equal and opposite forces on each other), investigations into the cause of those difficulties became common. Over time these conceptual difficulties have been given several labels, including misconceptions, naïve conceptions, and alternative conceptions. In this review we have chosen to use the term misconceptions but acknowledge that some researchers may have a preference for other terms. Some would argue that misconceptions research marked the beginning of modern day physics education research. Early work consisted of identifying and cataloguing student misconceptions (Clement, 1982; McDermott, 1984), and there were entire conferences devoted to student
Recommended publications
  • Strategic Recruitment Strategies to Attract Students Into Chemistry and Physics Education
    Strategic Recruitment Strategies to Attract Students into Chemistry and Physics Education Michelle L. Dean, Gregory Rushton, David Rosengrant & Brett Criswell The Need It has been echoed for numerous years that the nation needs STEM teachers who: • Are competent in the subject area • Offer quality education to their students by utilizing best practices • Will persist in the field Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, and National Academy of Engineering. Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2007. National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine. Rising Above the Gathering Storm, Revisited: Rapidly Approaching Category 5. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2010. Landers, E. S., & Gates, Jr. S. J. (2010). Prepare and Inspire, 330 (6001), 151. White House Office of the Press Secretary (2012) President Obama announces plans for a new national corps to recognize and reward leading educators in science, technology, engineering and math. (Accessed Sept. 2014) Responses to the National Need • Development of alternative certification routes • Restructuring current education programs to draw students in (UTeach, PhysTec, Woodrow Wilson Fellows) • Incentives to pursue degrees in STEM education programs (Noyce, WWF, private scholarships, etc.) KSU Production of UG Biology & Chemistry Teachers 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Biology Chemistry Labor Market Theory • The basic principle driving the supply of teachers is the following: Individuals will become or remain teachers if teaching represents the most attractive activity to pursue among all activities available to them. • Making the career attractive and desirable –ease of entry and overall compensation (salary, benefits, working conditions, and personal satisfaction).
    [Show full text]
  • Gorilla Guide for Majors Activity
    Gorilla Guide Gorilla Guide We have what you’re looking for! to Majors At PSU you may choose from top programs in the areas of Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, and Technology, many that are among the best and most specialized in the nation. Your PSU degree can open many doors. Major employers routinely recruit on the PSU campus and Pitt State graduates are highly favored. Our excellent Career Services Office will help you find that important job that your education at PSU will make possible. College of Arts & Sciences Art Chemistry Family & Consumer Sciences Mathematics Art Chemistry Family & Consumer Sciences Mathematics 2D General Fine Art Biochemistry Child Development Actuarial Science 3D General Fine Art Environmental Community & Family Services Mathematics Education Illustrations & Visual Pharmaceutical Family & Consumer Sciences Storytelling Polymer Education Military Science (minor) Art Education Pre-Dental Nutrition & Wellness Pre-Medicine Human Ecology (minor) Music Biology Pre-Veterinary Youth & Adolescence (minor) Music Biology Professional Child Development (minor) Music Education Botany Polymer Chemistry (Instrumental, Vocal) Cellular & Molecular Chemistry Education History, Philosophy & Social Music Performance Ecology & Field Biology Sciences (Instrumental, Vocal) Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences Communication Geography Pre-Dental (this is not dental Communication Environmental Geography School of Nursing hygiene) Human Communication & Sustainability Nursing Pre-Medicine Media Production Geographic Info Systems Pre-Optometry
    [Show full text]
  • Pre-Service Physics and Chemistry Teachers' Conceptual Integration of Physics and Chemistry Concepts
    Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education, 2016, 12(6), 1549-1568 doi: 10.12973/eurasia.2016.1244a Pre-Service Physics and Chemistry Teachers’ Conceptual Integration of Physics and Chemistry Concepts Mustafa Tuysuz Yuzuncu Yıl University, TURKEY Oktay Bektas Erciyes University, TURKEY Omer Geban & Gokhan Ozturk Middle East Technical University, TURKEY Bugrahan Yalvac Texas A&M University, USA Received 2 March 2015Revised 11 November 2015 Accepted 20 November 2015 This study examines the pre-service teachers’ opinions about conceptual integration (CI) and their understanding of it. A qualitative phenomenology design was used in the study. Data was collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews comprising ten guiding questions. Three pre-service physics and three pre-service chemistry teachers participated conveniently in the study. While the pre-service chemistry teachers took a course regarding the CI explicitly taught, the pre-service physics teachers were not subjected to any information relating to the CI in their course. Data was analyzed by forming the codes and themes. Generally speaking, while the pre-service chemistry teachers think that physics concepts should be used in the chemistry lessons, the pre- service physics teachers believe that these two subjects’ concepts generally are not related to each other. Moreover, the participants had some difficulties in understanding the CI between physics and chemistry concepts. The possible implication for science teacher education and research is discussed. Keywords: conceptual integration, chemistry education, physics education, pre-service teacher education INTRODUCTION In constructivist view, students interpret the new knowledge according to what Correspondence: Mustafa Tuysuz, Faculty of Education, Secondary Science and Mathematics Education Department, Middle East Technical University, 06800, Turkey.
    [Show full text]
  • The Role of Mathematics in the Teaching and Learning of Physics
    Strand 2 Learning science: Cognitive, affective and social aspects THE ROLE OF MATHEMATICS IN THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF PHYSICS Andreas Redfors, Lena Hansson, Örjan Hansson and Kristina Juter Kristianstad University, Kristianstad, Sweden Abstract: This paper discusses the role of mathematics in physics teaching and learning. The intention and strength of science is to describe what happens in the real world by organizing explanations through theories and theoretical models. It has been widely suggested that learning in science is influenced by views about the nature of scientific knowledge. Furthermore, mathematics is an inherent part of theories and makes powerful predictions of natural phenomena possible. Ability to use mathe- matics to argue and prove results is central in physics. Students have been found to struggle with physics problems where they need to relate mathematically formulated theoretical models to the real world. This project has explored the role of mathematics for physics teaching and learning in upper-secondary school through investigations of relations made during physics lessons (lectures, problem solving and lab-work) between The real world – Theoretical models – Mathematics. A preliminary analysis indicate that there are some connections made by students and teacher between theories and the real world, but the bulk of the discussion in the classroom is con- cerning the relation between theoretical models and mathematics, which is in line with earlier research on problem solving. The preliminary results reported on here indicate that this also holds true for all the investigated organisational forms lectures, problem solving in groups and lab-work. A finalized and extended analysis will be published elsewhere.
    [Show full text]
  • Adult Learners and Student Engagement
    Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Graduate Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 2013 Adult learners and student engagement: A study of the influence of student engagement on community college students and their intention to transfer Ryan Anderson Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd Part of the Adult and Continuing Education Administration Commons, Community College Leadership Commons, and the Science and Mathematics Education Commons Recommended Citation Anderson, Ryan, "Adult learners and student engagement: A study of the influence of student engagement on community college students and their intention to transfer" (2013). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 13506. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd/13506 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Adult learners and student engagement: A study of the influence of student engagement on community college students and their intention to transfer by Ryan Michael Anderson A dissertation submitted to the graduate faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Major: Education (Educational Leadership) Program of Study Committee: Soko Starobin, Major Professor Larry Ebbers Jan Friedel Frankie Santos Laanan Brad Shrader Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 2013 Copyright © Ryan Michael Anderson, 2013. All rights reserved. ii Dedication This huge milestone in my life is dedicated to my family. To my wife, Lesley— without your nonstop patience, support, love and understanding, finishing this dissertation would not have been possible.
    [Show full text]
  • Chemistry and Physics 1
    Chemistry and Physics 1 undergraduate-catalog/science/chemistry-physics/chemistry- CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS education-bs-endorsement-secondary-education-chemistry/) • B.S. in Chemistry and Education with Endorsement in Secondary Chair: William Schreiber, Department of Chemistry and Physics Education in Physical Science (http://catalog.monmouth.edu/ undergraduate-catalog/science/chemistry-physics/chemistry- Our curricula provide foundations in the traditional chemistry sub- education-bs-endorsement-secondary-education-physical-science/) disciplines. The programs serve as excellent preparation for further professional study in chemistry and related sciences, health professions • B.S. in Chemistry with a Concentration in Advanced Chemistry (ACS such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and physical therapy. Careers in Approved) (http://catalog.monmouth.edu/undergraduate-catalog/ academia, the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, environmental science/chemistry-physics/chemistry-bs-concentration-advanced- protection, forensics, government, industrial hygiene, information science, chemistry-acs-approved/) patent law, science writing, toxicology, and education are open to those • B.S. in Chemistry with a Concentration in Biochemistry (http:// whose initial field of study is chemistry. catalog.monmouth.edu/undergraduate-catalog/science/chemistry- physics/chemistry-bs-concentration-biochemistry/) The Bachelor of Science in Chemistry provides a core curriculum of chemistry while allowing sufficient flexibility to combine it with a second Minor major,
    [Show full text]
  • Physics Education Model Schedule
    PHYSICS EDUCATION PROGRAM OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAM: The science education program is designed to provide a strong content background in one or more science disciplines and extensive practice using constructivist teaching strategies to prepare teacher candidates for today?s classroom. Certifications (specializations) are available in biology (9-adult), chemistry (9-adult), physics (9-adult), earth and space science (5-adult), and general science (5-adult). Our program provides early teaching opportunities in middle school classrooms, workshops in association with the NASA IV&V Educator Resource Center, participation in state science teacher conferences, membership in professional organizations, opportunities for international travel and public outreach, and research experiences using radio telescopes at the Green Bank Observatory in Green Bank, WV. Science education students earn the B.A. Degree in Education with specializations in two or more science areas. Some students choose to double major, earning both a B.S. in a science discipline (e.g., chemistry or biology) and a B.A. in Education. EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES: Students graduating from Fairmont State with science teaching specializations are typically recruited prior to graduation by area schools and/or by school districts in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. The biology, chemistry, earth and space, or physics certification coupled with a general science certification provides the widest range of teaching opportunities. Due to the shortage of science teachers, graduates with the science specialization are heavily recruited. GRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES: Many science education graduates eventually continue on in their education to pursue a Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree. The Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) degree is another option at Fairmont State for those who already have a bachelor?s degree or higher with substantial earth science content.
    [Show full text]
  • Physics Education Research and Contexts of Student Learning Why
    Physics Education Research and Contexts of Student Learning Why do university students exit courses capable of solving difficult analytic problems (e.g., calculate current in a complex circuit), but are unable to explain the same content conceptually (e.g., which light bulb is brighter in such a circuit)? Why do many of the educational reforms being called for today echo the calls of almost 100 years ago? Building on the well-established foundations of physics education research that have focused on student cognition, curriculum design and course practices, this research program establishes another perspective from which we may understand student learning in physics – one that emphasizes learning in context. The proposed work investigates the central role of context in the practice of physics education. That is, how and what students learn depends not only on traditionally conceived content but also upon the formation of tasks, class environments, and broader institutional structures in which the content is embedded. Such a perspective begins to explain a host of research questions, such as those listed above, and is directed at understanding sustainable and scalable models of reform in physics education. This project coordinates research studies on the role of context in student learning at three different levels: the individual, the course, and the department. Because these three contextual levels of educational practice strongly influence one another, they are studied simultaneously to discover the relations among them. While this project spans all three levels, it does not strive to answer all questions within them. Instead, the project focuses on specific sets of questions surrounding common themes: tools, such as the use of computer simulations; practices, such as teaching as a mechanism of learning; and surrounding frames, such as departmental norms and their influence on student learning.
    [Show full text]
  • Improving Engineering Physics Teaching - Learning from Physics Education Research
    IMPROVING ENGINEERING PHYSICS TEACHING - LEARNING FROM PHYSICS EDUCATION RESEARCH JONTE BERNHARD Campus Norrköping, Linköping University S-602 18 Norrköping, Sweden E-mail: [email protected], Homepage: http://www.itn.liu.se/~jonbe Abstract Students come to our courses with a personal theory of physics. Most students do not change their personal theories during a traditionally taught physics course. In this paper I will give some reasons for this and also highlight some successful active-engagement curricula who help students to modify their personal theories of physics and thus help them acquiring a good functional understanding of physics. Invited paper presented at Physics Teaching in Engineering Education (PTEE 2000), Budapest 13-17 June 2000. IMPROVING ENGINEERING PHYSICS TEACHING - LEARNING FROM PHYSICS EDUCATION RESEARCH JONTE BERNHARD Campus Norrköping, Linköping University S-602 18 Norrköping, Sweden E-mail: [email protected], Homepage: http://www.itn.liu.se/~jonbe Abstract Students come to our courses with a personal theory of physics. Most students do not change their personal theories during a traditionally taught physics course. In this paper I will give some reasons for this and also highlight some successful active-engagement curricula who help students to modify their personal theories of physics and thus help them acquiring a good functional understanding of physics. KEYWORDS: Physics Education Research. Introduction Some years ago I started to include some ”simple” conceptual questions in the exams of the physics courses I taught. These questions could be answered by qualitative reasoning and no or very simple calculations were needed. The results were first quite surprising: Most students performed very poorly on the conceptual questions which most physics would consider as to be almost ‘to easy’, while they sometimes solved ‘difficult’ multiple-step quantitative problems better than expected.
    [Show full text]
  • Experiments As a Basis of Informal In-Service Training of Czech Physics Teachers
    Experiments as a basis of informal in-service training of Czech physics teachers Cite as: AIP Conference Proceedings 2152, 030004 (2019); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5124748 Published Online: 05 September 2019 Irena Dvořáková, and Petra Prošková ARTICLES YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN Views of physics teachers concerning possible reform of framework educational programs in the Czech Republic AIP Conference Proceedings 2152, 020001 (2019); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5124741 Physicists as key players in developing a new physics curriculum AIP Conference Proceedings 2152, 030041 (2019); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5124785 Inquiry-based science education as a support of school readiness AIP Conference Proceedings 2152, 020004 (2019); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5124744 AIP Conference Proceedings 2152, 030004 (2019); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5124748 2152, 030004 © 2019 Author(s). Experiments as a Basis of Informal In-service Training of Czech Physics Teachers Irena DvoĜáková1, a) and Petra Prošková2, b) 1Charles University, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Department of Physics Education. V Holešoviþkách 2, 180 00 Prague 8, Czech Republic. 2Elixir to Schools, Olbrachtova 1929/62,140 00 Praha 4, Czech Republic a) Corresponding author: [email protected] b)[email protected] Abstract. Experiments perform a number of functions in physics teaching - from a fun add-on of a very formal learning style to the cornerstone of a teaching method. A method of acquiring physical knowledge by using experiments, problem solving, tasks, etc. is a basic approach of teaching physics according to the Heureka (in English “Eureka”) project. Students are guided to analyse and solve scientific issues whereby they discover inquire new physical principles.
    [Show full text]
  • Evaluating High School Students' Conceptions of The
    Science Education International Vol. 27, Issue2, 2016, 253-276 Evaluating High School Students’ Conceptions of the Relationship between Mathematics and Physics: Development of A Questionnaire S. KAPUCU*, M. F. ÖÇAL, M. ŞİMŞEK ABSTRACT: The purposes of this study were (1) to develop a questionnaire measuring high school students’ conceptions of the relationship between mathematics and physics, (2) and to determine the students’ conceptions of the relationship between mathematics and physics. A total of 718 high school students (343 male, 375 female) participated in this study. Espousing a phenomenographic approach, a Relationship between Mathematics and Physics Questionnaire (RMPQ) was first developed. Then explanatory factor analysis (EFA) to identify factor structure and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) to verify the EFA results were performed on the data obtained. Data analyses showed that the RMPQ was a reliable and valid instrument to identify the students’ conceptions of the relationship between mathematics and physics. Descriptive results also revealed that the majority of the students believed that mathematics and physics closely related to each other in terms of their content and daily-life relations. They also believed that mathematics was needed to understand physics. KEY WORDS: conceptions, mathematics, physics, phenomenographic approach, questionnaire development INTRODUCTION It is inevitable for students who study physics to use mathematics so as to be able to solve some physics problems (Basson, 2002; Bing &Redish, 2006; Woolnough, 2000). Students need to have a deep understanding of mathematics and utilize it when necessary while engaging with physics concepts (Ataide&Greca, 2013). Even in the explanation of basic concepts in physics, students bring required components from mathematics, including symbols, structures and algebraic equations, and embed them into the problem situations by combining the mathematics and physics concepts (Ataide&Greca, 2013; Hudson & McIntire, 1977).
    [Show full text]
  • What Physics Should We Teach?
    Proceedings of the International Physics Education Conference, 5 to 8 July 2004, Durban, South Africa What Physics Should We Teach? Edited by Diane J. Grayson Sponsored by the International Commission on Physics Education and the South African Institute of Physics International Advisory Committee Igal Galili (Israel) Priscilla Laws (USA) Inocente Multimucuio (Mozambique) Jon Ogborn (UK) Joe Redish (USA) Khalijah Salleh (Malaysia) David Schuster (USA/ South Africa) Gunnar Tibell (Sweden) Matilde Vicentini (Italy) Laurence Viennot (France) Conference Organiser Diane Grayson Local Organisers Sandile Malinga Jaynie Padayachee Sadha Pillay. Robynne Savic and Carmen Fitzgerald (Interaction Conferencing) Editorial Assistant Erna Basson Administrative Assistant Ignatious Dire Cover Design: Joerg Ludwig © 2005 International Commission on Physics Education ISBN 1-86888-359 University of South Africa Press, PO Box 392, UNISA 0003, South Africa TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................... 2 Citation for the Presentation of the Medal.................................................................................... 6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......................................................................................................... 7 PAPERS BY PLENARY SPEAKERS ........................................................................................ 8 QUANTUM GRAVITY FOR UNDERGRADUATES? .............................................................
    [Show full text]