Research on conceptual understanding in mechanics

JUL 01, 1984

Recent investigations of the difficulties that students encounter in learning physics are beginning to provide a new resource for improving instruction.

DOI: 10.1063/1.2916318

Lillian C. McDermott

Over the past decade, physicists, psychologists and science educators have been conducting research that has yielded detailed information about how students learn physics. Some investigators have used physics as a context for examining cognitive processes and approaches to problem‐solving. For others, the primary emphasis has been on conceptual understanding in a particular area of physics such as mechanics, electricity, heat or optics. Regardless of the motivation behind the research, the results indicate that similar difficulties occur among students of different ages and ability, often in spite of formal study in physics. The persistence of these difficulties suggests that they are not easily overcome, and need to be addressed explicitly during instruction.

References

1. S. Sjo/berg, S. Lie, Technical Report 81‐11, University of Oslo (1981).
2. R. Driver, PhD dissertation, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, 1973.
Similar comments by college students have been reported by J. Clement, Working Paper, University of Massachusetts at Amherst (1983).
3. J. Minstrell, Phys. Teach. 20, 10 (1982).https://doi.org/PHTEAH
4. A. Champagne, L. Klopfer, C. Solomon, A. Cahn, Technical Report, University of Pittsburgh, 1980.
5. R. Gunstone, R. White, Science Education 65, 291 (1981).https://doi.org/SEDUAV
6. A. Champagne, L. Klopfer, J. H. Anderson, Am. J. Phys. 48, 1074 (1980).https://doi.org/AJPIAS
7. J. Aguirre, MA thesis, University of British Columbia, 1978.
8. D. E. Trowbridge, L. C. McDermott, Am. J. Phys. 48, 1020 (1980); https://doi.org/AJPIAS
D. E. Trowbridge, L. C. McDermott, 49, 242 (1981).https://doi.org/AJPIAS , Am. J. Phys.
9. P. C. Peters, Am. J. Phys. 50, 501 (1982).https://doi.org/AJPIAS
10. See for example, M. L. Rosenquist, L. C. McDermott, Kinematics, Physics Education Group, Department of Physics, University of Washington, Seattle, Wash. (1983);
D. Trowbridge, A. Bork, Computers in Education, R. Lewis and D. Tagg, ed., North‐Holland, New York (1981) page 325;
P. Hewson, Working Paper, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, (1983).
11. E. Saltiel, J. L. Malgrange, Eur. J. Phys. 1, 73 (1980).https://doi.org/EJPHD4
12. G. Erickson, J. Aguirre, J. Res. Sci. Teach. 21, 439 (1984).
13. J. Whitaker, Am. J. Phys. 51, 352 (1983).https://doi.org/AJPIAS
14. M. McCloskey, A. Caramazza, B. Green, Science 210, 1139, (1980); https://doi.org/SCIEAS
M. McCloskey, A. Caramazza, B. Green, Cognition 9, 17 (1981).https://doi.org/CGTNAU
15. J. Clement, Am. J. Phys. 50, 66 (1982).https://doi.org/AJPIAS
16. L. Viennot, Le raisonnement spontané en dynamique élémentaire, Hermann, Paris (1979);
Eur. J. Sci. Educ. 1, 205 (1979).https://doi.org/EJSEDA
17. R. A. Lawson, PhD dissertation, University of Washington, 1984.
18. J. K. Gilbert, D. M. Watts, R. J. Osborne, Phys. Ed. 17, 62 (1982); https://doi.org/PHEDA7
D. M. Watts, Eur. J. Sci. Educ. 5, 217 (1983).https://doi.org/EJSEDA
19. A. diSessa, Cogn. Sci. 6, 37 (1982); https://doi.org/COGSD5
B. White, Cogn. Sci. 7, 41 (1983); https://doi.org/COGSD5
B. White, Cogn. And Instruc. 1, 69 (1984).
20. W. Barowy, J. Lochhead, Prob. Solv. 3, 6 (1981).
21. R. Driver, L. Warrington, Working Paper, University of Leeds, England, 1983.
R. Duit, Eur. J. Sci. Educ. 3, 201 (1981), obtained similar results at the University of Kiel.https://doi.org/EJSEDA
22. Recent papers on instructional implications include: A. B. Arons, Daedalus 112, 91 (1983);
A. B. Arons, Am. J. Phys. 50, 13 (1982); https://doi.org/AJPIAS
A. B. Arons, Phys. Teach. 21, 576 (1983); https://doi.org/PHTEAH
A. B. Arons, 22, 21 (1984); https://doi.org/PHTEAH , Phys. Teach.
A. B. Arons, Phys. Teach. 22, 88 (1984); https://doi.org/PHTEAH
D. Hawkins, Outlook 29, University of Colorado (1978);
P. W. Hewson, Eur. J. Sci. Educ. 3, 383 (1981); https://doi.org/EJSEDA
L. C. McDermott, M. L. Rosenquist, E. H. van Zee, New Direct, for Teach, and Learn. 16, 59 (1983);
J. Novak, D. Gowin, G. Johansen, Sci. Ed. 67, 625 (1983). https://doi.org/SEDUAV
J. W. Renner, A. E. Lawson, Phys. Teach. 11, 165 (1973); https://doi.org/PHTEAH
L. B. Resnick, Science 220, 447 (1983). https://doi.org/SCIEAS
M. B. Rowe, J. Chem. Ed. 60, 955 (1983).https://doi.org/JCEDA8
23. See for example, A. B. Arons, Am. J. Phys. 44, 834 (1976); https://doi.org/AJPIAS
A. B. Arons, J. Col. Sci. Teach. 1, 30 (1972); https://doi.org/JSCTBN
L. C. McDermott, Phys. Teach. 13, 523 (1975). https://doi.org/PHTEAH
L. C. McDermott, Am. J. Phys. 42, 668, (1974); https://doi.org/AJPIAS
L. C. McDermott, Am. J. Phys. 44, 434 (1976).https://doi.org/AJPIAS
24. See for example, M. L. Rosenquist, L. C. McDermott, Properties of Matter, Kinematics, Heat and Temperature, Electric Circuits, Geometry in the Sky, Waves, Physics Education Group, Department of Physics, University of Washington, Seattle, (1983).

More about the Authors

Lillian C. McDermott. University of Washington, Seattle.