摘要:

During individual clinical interviews, the interaction between researcher and interviewee leads to a specific set of data that can later be interpreted from several viewpoints. In this paper, we describe three analyses of a student’s reasoning. First, we describe her “physics reasoning” in terms of the physical situation she describes and the “difficulties” she has in reasoning about the interview question. Second, we describe some “reasoning resources” that she uses. Finally, we describe “epistemological resources” that may influence her reasoning about quantum physics. We conclude with a discussion of implications about the practice of interviews and their analysis. © 2004 American Institute of Physics

ISSN:0094-243X    

DOI:10.1063/1.1807240

出版商:AIP    

年代:1904

数据来源: AIP

摘要:

California State University Fullerton is a regional comprehensive university that serves a diverse student population. Over half of the undergraduate students at CSUF are members of minority groups, and just under half spoke a language other than English at home while growing up. We have tested research‐based curricular materials, includingTutorials in Introductory Physics,in courses at CSUF. In some cases, these materials are successful. However, in many cases student outcomes are significantly different from those reported at large research universities. Informally, many faculty believe that the student population at CSUF is significantly different from those at more selective universities. In what ways can the tools of PER be used to measure, describe, and understand the differences between student populations? Are the standard methods of PER suitable for answering questions of this type? © 2004 American Institute of Physics

ISSN:0094-243X    

DOI:10.1063/1.1807241

出版商:AIP    

年代:1904

数据来源: AIP

摘要:

Research methodology is discussed using a simple model of students’ knowledge. I argue that the nature of data obtained is closely linked to the type of knowledge being probed. © 2004 American Institute of Physics

ISSN:0094-243X    

DOI:10.1063/1.1807242

出版商:AIP    

年代:1904

数据来源: AIP

摘要:

Why study student understanding of physics? For some of us, “because it’s there” is a large part of the reason. However, many of us are also strongly committed to using our findings to improve teaching at the classroom level. One type of investigation that has proven fruitful as a guide for improving student learning is discussed in the article. The underlying goals and assumptions are discussed in general terms. A specific example provides a context for discussing the interpretation of student thinking. © 2004 American Institute of Physics

ISSN:0094-243X    

DOI:10.1063/1.1807243

出版商:AIP    

年代:1904

数据来源: AIP

摘要:

The paper examines data collected from teaching an introductory college physics class offered at a public high school. Assessment of student achievement demonstrates that students are able to perform at a college level. Nonetheless this achievement is not recognized by the institutions supporting this experimental course. Analysis of detailed daily notes begins to answer why and how students are marginalized in this educational system. Particularly, three themes of structural, normative and epistemological discontinuity detail why these students or institutions fail. © 2004 American Institute of Physics

ISSN:0094-243X    

DOI:10.1063/1.1807244

出版商:AIP    

年代:1904

数据来源: AIP

摘要:

According to many scholars, classrooms in America are overwhelmingly authoritarian and undemocratic. They focus on fragmented knowledge that is disconnected from the students’ lives. Proven reforms are resisted at all levels, and systematic progressive change is non‐existent nearly a century after the progressive movement. Why is this so? The standard liberal outlook is that the schools are ‘broken’ and ‘neglected’, but that they have the potential, with reform, to be a major progressive force in society. This paper questions these assumptions through a review of the seminal educational‐economic work by Bowles and Gintis:Schooling in Capitalist America. The major claim of this text is that our educational system’s primary role is to mirror, support, stabilize, and reproduce the fundamentally hierarchical and undemocratic social relationships that exist in the majority of American workplaces. The major arguments and evidence of this text are reviewed, and implications for PER will be briefly mentioned. © 2004 American Institute of Physics

ISSN:0094-243X    

DOI:10.1063/1.1807245

出版商:AIP    

年代:1904

数据来源: AIP

摘要:

The paper describes a study of students’ reflections on their learning in the Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE). ISLE was implemented in two freshmen introductory physics courses for engineering students at risk. Weekly Reports — structured journals — were a part of their homework assignments. We found that a thorough reflection on their reasoning based on experimental evidence had a positive effect on student performance. However a surprising finding was that learning from authority was beneficial as well. This result is in contradiction to a similar study conducted by May and Etkina in 2001 in a freshmen course for honors engineering students. The current study therefore suggests that instructors should encourage different ways of knowledge construction when dealing with different student populations. © 2004 American Institute of Physics

ISSN:0094-243X    

DOI:10.1063/1.1807246

出版商:AIP    

年代:1904

数据来源: AIP

摘要:

It is well known that women are underrepresented in physics. The prevailing view is that there is a “leaky pipeline” of female physicists which has lead to a focus on providing mentors and increasing the opportunity for girls to experience science. The assumption is that the numbers of women in physics can be increased by integrating women into the existing structure. Although it may seem reasonable, women are making only small gains in participation levels. In this paper, I explore the idea that there is no leaky pipeline. Rather, the environment is fundamentally “male” and women will never be equally represented until fundamental changes are made in both our educational system and in the cultural assumptions of our physics community. © 2004 American Institute of Physics

ISSN:0094-243X    

DOI:10.1063/1.1807247

出版商:AIP    

年代:1904

数据来源: AIP

摘要:

We performed a new kind of FCI study to get at the differences between what students believe and what they think scientists believe. Students took the FCI in the standard way, and then made a second pass indicating “the answer they really believe” and “the answer they think a scientist would give.” Students split on a large number of the questions, with women splitting more often than men. © 2004 American Institute of Physics

ISSN:0094-243X    

DOI:10.1063/1.1807248

出版商:AIP    

年代:1904

数据来源: AIP

摘要:

In this paper we describe phenomenography and demonstrate its use in two separate studies; an investigation of students’ understandings of gravity and a comparison of two groups of students awareness of the utility of physics. © 2004 American Institute of Physics

ISSN:0094-243X    

DOI:10.1063/1.1807249

出版商:AIP    

年代:1904

数据来源: AIP