reality physics teaching (rpt) for improving student expectations in learning physics

Umporn Wutchana

Institute for innovation and development of learning processMahidol University

Reality Physics Teaching (RPT) for Improving Student Expectations in Learning Physics

Out line

• Introduction• Motivation• Pilot studies • Research Questions• Research Objectives • Research Hypotheses• Research Methodology• Expected Outcomes

Introduction

• Student attitudes, beliefs and assumption about physics and learning physics play a critical role in their learning and understanding about physics.

Introduction

• Student attitudes, beliefs and assumption about physics and learning physics play a critical role in their learning and understanding about physics.

attitudesbeliefs

assumptionexpectations

• Physics education researchers have probed student expectations.

• Physics education researchers distinguished the expectations of experts and the expectations of novices.

• Physics education researchers found relationships between student expectations and their learning.

Introduction

Motivation

• Student expectations affect their conceptual learning.

• Most students still have more novice-like expectations after physics courses.

• Can improving student expectations cause improvement of their conceptual learning?

Survey and Test

• Maryland Physics Expectation Survey (MPEX)

University of Maryland Physics Education Research Group in 1992

• Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation (FMCE)

Thornton and Sokoloff 1998

MPEX

• University of Maryland Physics Education Research Group in 1992

• 34 items• 5-option Likert scale

Strongly disagree NeutralAgree Disagree

Strongly agree

MPEX

• Responses agreeing with the experts were defined as favorable responses.

• Responses disagreeing with the experts were defined as unfavorable responses.

favorable unfavorable

MPEX

• Independence• Coherence• Concepts• Reality Link• Math Link• Effort

MPEX


Learning physics means reconstructing one’s own understanding.

MPEX


The structure of physics knowledge is based on a single coherent system.

MPEX


The content of physics knowledge is based on concepts that underlie the formulas.

MPEX


Physics is connected with reality.

MPEX


Mathematical formalism is used as a way of representing information about physics

phenomena.

MPEX


Activities and work are necessary to make sense out of physics.

FMCE

• Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation (FMCE) was developed by Thornton and Sokoloff (1998).

• FMCE was designed to probe students understanding of force and motion.

• 46 items

Questions for Pilot Studies

• What are Thai student expectations toward learning physics?

• What are the relationships between student expectations and their physics learning?

• What are the student expectations after a physics course?

• What are the student expectations after an active learning?

Pilot studies

• Student expectations toward learning physics

• Correlations between student expectations and their learning

• Student expectations after a traditional physics course

• Student expectations after an active learning

Student expectations toward learning physics

Part 1

MPEX

First-Year students

High-School students

Student Expectations


Overall

Independence

Coherence

Concepts

Reality

Link

Math

LinkEffort

FY 34 19 23 24 44 31 48

HS 27 24 14 14 34 18 43

Percentage (%) of students giving Favorable responses on MPEX survey 2006.

Part 1


Redish et al., 1998

%

%

Part 1

FY

FY

Correlations between student expectations and their learning

Part 2

MPEX/FMCE

First-Year Students

Student Expectations/Conceptual learning Outcomes

FMCE

Pre-test

Post-test


Expectation clusters

Correlations of expectations with

FMCE gains (p-value)

Overall 0.31 (0.0001)

Independence 0.22 (0.002)

Coherence 0.29 (0.0001)

Concepts 0.21 (0.003)

Reality Link 0.22 (0.002)

Math Link 0.24 (0.0006)

Effort -0.05 (0.48)

Part 2


Part 2

% FAV

Student expectations after a physics course

Part 3

MPEX

Student Expectation Changes

MPEX

Pre-test

Post-test

High-School Students (A

traditional class)

Student expectations after a physics course

Overall

Independence

Coherence

Concepts

RealityLink

MathLink

Effort

Pre 32 21 18 13 42 20 50

Post 27 16 12 11 32 13 50

Percentage (%) of high-school students giving favorable responses on MPEX survey before and after a physics course 2007.

Part 3

Student expectations after an active learning

Part 4

2 STATEMENTS

High-School Students (An active

learning class)

Student Expectation Changes

Pre-test

Post-test2 STATEMENTS

MPEX


# 1: Physics has a relation to the real world.# 2: Leaning physics helps me understand

situations in my everyday life.

Part 4

Student expectations before an active learning

# 1: Physics has a relation to the real world.

Part 4


# 1: Physics has a relation to the real world.

Part 4

Student expectations before an active learning

# 2: Leaning physics helps me understand situations in my everyday life.Part 4


# 2: Leaning physics helps me understand situations in my everyday life.Part 4

Preliminary Results

• Thai student had more novice-like expectations.

• Student expectations were changed to be more novice-like after a physics course.

• Positive correlations between student expectations and their conceptual learning were found.

• Student expectations are important factor affecting their learning

Research Questions

• What are Thai student expectations toward learning physics?

• Can Reality Physics Teaching (RPT) improve the student expectations in the Reality Link cluster?

• What are relationships between the student expectations and their physics learning?

Research Objectives

• To investigate Thai student expectations toward learning physics.

• To design Reality Physics Teaching (RPT) for improving student Reality Link expectations toward learning physics.

• To study relationships between the student expectations and their physics learning outcomes.

Research Hypotheses

• Students who have more sophisticated expectations toward learning physics learn physics better than others.

• Reality Physics Teaching (RPT) can be used to improve student Reality Link expectations toward learning physics.

Research Methodology

• Phase 1 Student expectations and Conceptual learning Investigation

• Phase 2 Design Reality Physics Teaching

• Phase 3 Reality Physics Teaching Evaluation

Investigate Thai student expectations and their

conceptual learning

Find the relationships between student expectations and their

conceptual learning

PHASE 1

Phase 1 Student expectations and Conceptual learning Investigation

Design Reality Physics Teaching (RPT) for improving student Reality

Link expectations

Determine student expectation changes

Use the RPT to teach students in order to improve their expectations

Redesig

n RPT

if No improvement in expectation

s

Phase 2 Design Reality Physics Teaching

PHASE 2

Reality Physics Teaching (RPT)

• RPT focus on Kinematics• Goals of Reality Physics Teaching

– Improve expectations about Reality Link

– Improve conceptual understanding– Connect classroom learning with real-

word experience

Reality Physics Teaching (RPT)

• Principle for RPT: each lesson plan includes activities that

– engage students to join in interactive learning– provide activities that invite students to

construct their own understanding about physics concepts

– help students modify their common conceptions about physical phenomena that make it difficult for them to understand general principle of physics

– connect real word experience with classroom learning

– provide opportunities for class discussion of student ideas and findings

An Example of RPT Activities

RPT : SPEEDRPT : SPEED


• 4-5 students were grouped.• The student groups were asked to find how

fast people or animals move.• The students find the answer using the

provided instrument.– A Timer– A Measuring Tape– A Sheet of Paper

• The students present their method and results.

• All of them have time for discussion • The students conclude how to find speed of

things.

Find the relationship between student expectation changes and

their conceptual learning and Evaluate RPT

Outcome: RPT for improving Reality Link expectations

Determine student expectation changes

Use the RPT to teach students in order to improve their Reality Link

expectations

Phase 3 Reality Physics Teaching Evaluation

PHASE 3

Expected Outcomes

• RPT learning unit• RPT teaching medias • More understanding about the

impact of student expectations on their conceptual learning

Expected Outcomes

Research Plan

Completed Work

• Student Expectations in First-year Physics Course presented at SPC 2007

• The Comparison between Teacher and Student Expectations in Learning Physics presented at STT 2007

• Student Expectations after a Physics Course : A Case Study from 39 High-School Students presented at ICASE 2007

• Finding Negative Correlation between Student Effort Expectations and Their Learning in Introductory Physics submitted to Physical Review Special Topics – Physics Education Research

reality physics teaching (rpt) for improving student expectations in learning physics

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