In Search of a Right Way to Teach Physics

Ian Johnston and Rosemary Millar
School of Physics, The University of Sydney

Abstract

One of the most significant advances in Physics Education Research in the last decade or so has been the identification of "misconceptions" which are widely shared, often internally inconsistent, and very difficult to change. Much work has gone into developing special diagnostic tests to uncover any misconceptions particular students hold. Among the best known of these tests, in the area of kinematics and dynamics, are the Force Concept Inventory (FCI)¹ and the Mathematics and Physics Concept Evaluation (MCPE).²

This research has prompted the development of teaching strategies which target specific misconceptions, and reported results suggest that traditional, chalk-and-talk lecturing is relatively ineffective in changing misconceptions. On the other hand, one recent survey of over 7000 students in the USA has shown that teaching which employs interactive methods can result in significant increases in understanding.³ It is important therefore that teachers everywhere should take these findings seriously, and, where possible, test whether the same gain in understanding can be achieved in other teaching contexts.

One particular strategy, which uses Interactive Lecture Demonstrations,⁴ is designed to be used in a traditional teaching lecture. These involve the highly structured use of computers for collection and analysis of experimental data in the classroom, and a rigidly laid down process of eliciting classroom interaction. Results from this teaching technique have been reported in the recent literature, claiming that student "understanding", as measured by the MCPE, can change from an initial very low figure, to a level of virtually 90%.

This paper reports a trial in which, in 1999 and 2000, these ILDs were incorporated into a traditional lecture course at the University of Sydney. The roughly 450 students studying introductory mechanics were divided into one "Advanced" class and three "Regular" classes. Of the latter, one group was taught using ILDs, and the other two, with a different lecturer, were regarded as a control. The course is usually taught by 15 one-hour lectures with a weekly tutorial and regular assignments. The experimental class had 11 one-hour lectures and 4 one-hour ILD sessions, but everything else was the same. All classes shared the same assignments and end-of-semester examination.

Results of the experiment in 1999, while not exactly negative, were disappointing and suggested that this new method of teaching, though effective in itself, does not yield the very impressive results claimed for it. There are many possible explanations for this, and to answer some of these, the experiment was repeated in 2000, exactly as in the previous year. As of July 2000, analysis of the results are not yet available and will be reported in December.

¹Hestenes,D., Wells,M. and Swackhammer,G.,"The Force Concept Inventory", Physics Teacher, 30, (1992), 141­158
²Thornton,R.K. and Sokoloff,D.R., "Assessing Student Learning of Newton's Laws: The Force and Motion Conceptional Evaluation and the Evaluation of Active Learning laboratory and Learning Curricula", Am. J. Phys, 66(4), 1998, pp. 338­52
³Hake,R.R., "Interactive-engagement vs. traditional methods: A six-thousand-student survey of mechanics test data for introductory physics courses", Am. J. Phys, 66, 1998, pp. 64­74
⁴Thornton, R.K., "Learning Physics Concepts in the Introductory Course: Microcomputer-based lab tools and Interactive Lecture Demonstrations", Proceedings, Conference on the Introductory Physics Course, (John Wiley, N.Y. 1997) pp. 68­85

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