The University of Sydney: Sydney eScholarship Journals online
Not a member yet
10041 research outputs found
Sort by
Introducing the basic concepts of general relativity in high schools
Get PDFINTRODUCTION
Unlike the case of quantum mechanics, the teaching at the high school level of general relativity (GR) has been the target of relatively minor efforts by researchers in physics education (Kersting, Henriksen, Boe & Angell 2018), despite both subjects being included in the curricula in many countries. Although its foundations are not as controversial as those of quantum mechanics, GR also rests on some subtle conceptual steps, and, moreover, it cannot be probed using real experiments. Hence, teaching it at the high school level presents important challenges. However, the conceptual steps needed for GR are firmly founded in classical mechanics, electromagnetism, and special relativity (Sciama 1969), and when suitably presented and supported by adequate material, they can be within grasp of final year pupils.
In this presentation, we outline and discuss a proposal in which these basic concepts are gradually introduced as natural extensions of those that physics pupils know, in a simple yet nontrivial way, which goes beyond the current textbook approaches. The latter, indeed, usually present little more than a popular level account. Typically, they rely on the famous elastic sheet analogy, which in turn is based on the iconic fact that GR geometrizes the gravitational field. However, such a statement takes quite a long route to be established, hence without adequate motivation, usually results in students getting the impression that the theory comes out of the blue. Also, the analogy is not very accurate, failing to highlight the role of time in the theory.
FROM CLASSICAL MECHANICS TO GR: A PROPOSAL
Our proposal starts from a critical rethinking of the principles of Newtonian mechanics, focusing on the role of inertia and of inertial forces, and on the principle of equivalence of gravitational and inertial mass. This part can be supplemented by real experiments and simulations. The next step involves special relativity, discussing the apparently unrelated problems of extending the relativity principle to non-inertial frames, and of reconciling gravity with the universal speed limit. Then, the way in which the equivalence principle allows to extend the special relativity principle is discussed with the help of Einstein’s elevator thought experiment. Crucial here is the discussion of how the equivalence principle is elevated from mechanics to all physical phenomena and how it is reconciled with the fact that special relativity teaches us that inertial mass is a form of energy. By means of some thought experiments, in fact, it is possible to quantitatively show that the same is true for the gravitational mass (Einstein, 1911). Then, by further thought experiments and simple calculations, some consequences of this principle can be explored: the gravitational redshift and time-dilation, the application to the Global Positioning System, and the gravitational bending of light. At this point, students should be invited to reflect on the special features that a theory based on special relativity and on Einstein’s equivalence principle should have, in comparison with electromagnetism, and the consequences should be explored. Finally, the thought experiment of the rotating disc (Janssen, 2014) can provide a way of motivating the well-known geometric picture.
REFERENCES
Einstein A. (1911). Einfluss der Schwerkraft auf die Ausbreitung des Lichtes. Ann. Phys. (Ser.4), 35, 898.
Janssen M. (2014). “No success like failure…”. Einstein’s quest for general relativity, 1907-1920. In M.Janssen & C. Lehner (Eds.), The Cambridge companion to Einstein (pp. 167-227). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Kersting, M., Henriksen, E. K., Boe, M.V., & Angell. C. (2018). General relativity in upper secondary school: Design and evaluation of an online environment using the model of educational reconstruction. Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 14, 010130.
Sciama, D. (1969). The physical foundations of general relativity, New. York: Doubleday
Online teaching sequences and inquiry levels during the COVID-19 pandemic: A case study of Thai pre-service physics teachers
Get PDFINTRODUCTION
Teaching sequence refers to a sequence of teaching strategies. If teaching sequence is well organized and balanced, then it can help improve student understanding as well as problem solving in physics. Teaching strategies are methods and techniques that an instructor uses to support students through learning process. The instructor chooses the teaching strategy most suitable to the topic being learned and the level of students and their learning progress. Teaching strategies can be categorized according to learning outcomes such as eliciting prior knowledge, constructing conceptual understanding, conducting an experiment, providing an explanation, discussing demonstrations’ results etc. The COVID-19 pandemic presented several challenges in teaching and learning physics. The sudden shift to an online learning environment required teachers to rethink and be more creative in using different teaching strategies to support online learning. This study aims to analyze teaching sequences of pre-service physics teachers in their online classes.
METHOD
Participants were fifteen Thai pre-service teachers teaching high schools around Chiang Mai province. Physics lesson plans from academic years of 2020 and 2021 were analyzed based on four-levels of inquiry – confirmation, structured, guided, and open inquiry levels (NRC, 2000).
RESULTS
Most pre-service teachers used teaching strategies to elicit students’ prior concepts at the beginning of the class. However, most teachers did not use empirical data from learning activities to explain physics principles. Most online lesson plans were categorized into structured inquiry level, a few lessons in guided inquiry but none were in opened inquiry level.
REFERENCE
National Research Council. (2000). Inquiry and the national science education standards: A guide for teaching and learning: National Academies Press
Training teachers for new ways of understanding the teaching of physics from its mathematization
Get PDFThe use of mathematics in physics teaching often becomes an obstacle to learning. Within the framework of this problem, we set out to study the possibilities of training future teachers for new understandings of the relationship between physics and mathematics. Our main frame of reference is a research sequence developed in the Teaching and Learning of Physics research group in Castiblanco (2003), Vizcaíno (2013), Castiblanco and Nardi (2018), Vizcaíno and Terrazán (2020), Castiblanco and Vizcaíno (2022a, b). In this case, data arose from participant observation in a Physics Didactics course in an initial teacher training program at the District University Francisco José de Caldas, Bogotá. It was qualitative research of case study type, with 20 students finishing their training process. We focused on addressing the "mathematization of physics for teaching" in three phases by developing ways to enrich classroom interaction using experimental resources, technologies, and literature. The three phases were the criteria for planning and executing the course: 1) the phenomenological approach (awareness of the existence of the phenomenon); 2) the characterization of physical systems (identification of variables, parameters, constants, and initial conditions), and; 3) the conceptual modeling (synthesizing explanations and arguments in different types of language representations).
Results show innovative processes in teacher discourses. They substantially changed the way of creating explanations in physics to the point of being able to work on topics that they did not understand, such as Minkowski diagrams, quantum entanglement, and the concept of entropy. We found evidence of real possibilities to get out of the traditional way of presenting mathematics in physics, understanding mathematization as a mental process to see nature. Also, they believe that learning physics can be deeper and more impressive than simply memorizing and applying formulas, as well as having an awareness of the dynamic role of the teacher beyond a transmitter of content.
REFERENCES
Castiblanco, O. (2003). Una perspectiva pedagógica a propósito de Dirac. Tesis De Maestría en Docencia de la Física. Universidad Pedagógica Nacional, Bogotá.
Castiblanco, O. & Vizcaíno, D. (2022a). Taking on a new meaning of physics mathematization for teaching in teacher education processes. Clute International Academic Conference on Education Las Vegas - Science Track (ISEC), EEUU.
Castiblanco, O. & Vizcaíno, D. (2022b) Enriching Interaction in the Classroom Based on Typologies of Experiments and Mathematization in Physics Teaching. International Conference On Physics Education And Learning. New York.
Castiblanco, O. & Nardi. R. (2018). What and how to teach didactics of physics? An approach from disciplinary, sociocultural, and interactional dimensions. Journal of Science Education, 19(1), 100-117.
Vizcaíno, D. (2013). Papel da “matematização” nas explicações de professores e alunos em disciplinas de física na formação inicial de professores. Tesis De Doctorado en Didáctica de las Ciencias y Matemáticas, Universidad Estadual Paulista,Facultad de ciencias. Bauru, Brasil.
Vizcaíno, D. & Terrazzan, E. (2020) Meanings of physics mathematization in pre-service physics teachers. Revista Lasallista, de investigación, 17(1), 358-370
Relationship between motivation and physics perceptions of eighth grade students
Get PDFThe aim of the study we are presenting, was to determine the motivation of students towards science and to examine its relationship with their perceptions of physics. In the context of science education, it is important to determine the motivation of students regarding the lessons, considering the positive effect of motivation on learning and achievement. In the research, causal-comparison research design, one of the quantitative research methods, was used. The accessible population were all eighth graders studying in middle schools in the center of Kütahya. The sample consists of 630 eighth grade students from seven different schools. Convenient sampling method was used to select the sample. Data were collected using two different scales in the study. The first one is the Conceptions of Physics Questionaire (CoPQ) (Sharma, Stewart, Wilson & Gökalp, 2013) and the second is the Science Motivation Questionnaire (SMQ) (Glynn & Koballa, 2006). First of all, the adaptation of the CoPQ scale to Turkish was carried out. The translation and adaptation of the CoPQ tool into Turkish was done by the researchers. There are a total of 15 items consisting of two different dimensions in the CoPQ: fragmented and cohesive. There are seven items in the Fragmented and eight items in the Cohesive scale. The Science Motivation Questionnaire aimed to measure their motivation. This scale includes 30 five-point Likert items. This scale consists of six sub-dimensions: intrinsic motivation to learn science, extrinsic motivation to learn science, interest in learning science, determination to learn science, self-efficacy about learning science, and anxiety about science exams. The maximum value that can be obtained from the CoPQ is 75 and the minimum value is 15. With the Science Motivation Questionnaire (SMQ), the highest score that can be obtained is 150 and the lowest score is 30. As a result of confirmatory and explanatory factor analyses, the validity of the measurement tools was proven. The results showed that there is a moderate significant correlation (r=0.49) between students’ science motivation and their cohesive physics perceptions. Moreover, there is a low significant correlation (r=0.14) between students’ science motivation and their fragmented physics perceptions. The direction of these interactions can be examined by applying different control mechanisms with various experimental research.
REFERENCES
Glynn, Shawn M. & Koballa, Thomas. R., Jr. (2006). Motivation to learn college science. In Joel J. Mintzes and William H. Leonard (Eds.) Handbook of College Science Teaching (pp. 25-32). Arlington, VA: National Science Teachers Association Press.
Sharma, M. D., Stewart, C., Wilson, R., & Gokalp, M. S. (2013). Can a Syllabus Change Impact on Students’ Perceptions of Science? Fragmented and Cohesive Conceptions of Physics. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education, 9(1), 33-44.
Changing times mean changing professional development: How access to professional development has changed in recent years for NSW high school physics teachers
Get PDFSince the release of the then new HSC Physics Syllabus in 2017 (NSW Education Standards Authority, 2017) in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, high school physics teachers have experienced a rapidly evolving landscape for their professional development (PD), dictated by everchanging government legislation, the COVID-19 pandemic, improvements in technology and teacher shortages. This presentation will describe:
the demands on NSW teachers to maintain their teacher accreditation (NSW Education Standards Authority, 2022)
originally how they would access physics PD on theory and experiments through face-to-face workshops
the impact of COVID on access to PD
the subsequent rise of online PD due to COVID and improvements in technology
the beneficial increase in access to PD for regional teachers due to online delivery
the slow return to face-to-face PD post-lockdowns
the impact of the recent and ongoing lack of casual teachers on PD participation
the consequent necessity for on-demand asynchronous PD alongside face-to-face and live online options
the increasing importance of specialized PD in light of the teacher shortage
While certain aspects are idiosyncratic to NSW, many of the points discussed are applicable to jurisdictions the world over.
REFERENCES
NSW Education Standards Authority. (2017). Physics stage 6 syllabus
https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/stage-6-learning-areas/stage-6-science/physics-2017
NSW Education Standards Authority. (2022). Maintaining Proficient Teacherhttps://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/teacher-accreditation/meeting-requirements/maintaining-accreditation/proficient-teache
Board game Dixit as a tool for development of students’ physics concepts
Get PDFINTRODUCTION
Game-Based Learning is an educational approach which uses games as an educational tool. There are many benefits of using educational games, such as increase in students’ motivation and engagement in the educational process, change in attitude to the subject, etc. In this contribution, we discuss our experience with using a modification of the board game Dixit to develop students’ physics concepts.
THE GAME
Dixit is a board game consisting of big cards with illustrations. During the game one player chooses one of his cards and gives others a clue to this card. Then every other player chooses one of his cards, which can be interpreted by the clue. All chosen cards are mixed up and players need to find the card originally referred by the clue (Roubira, 2021). For our research, Dixit was modified in a way that players need to use clues with physics context. Also, for this modification, a new set of cards was mixed from original cards. The goal of this modification is to bring students to discussion about physics terms, to verbalize students’ ideas and physics concepts and to confront their ideas with the ideas of other students.
RESEARCH
In a broader research study focused on the use of game-based learning in physics education, we wanted to find out whether the use of selected games brings benefits to students' knowledge and skills. The partial question in this context is, whether playing a modified Dixit can be used to develop students' understanding of physics terms. To answer this question, three steps were followed.
The first step was to create a suitable set of pictures (cards) and to find out what physics concepts are associated with them by graduates of general upper secondary education. To achieve this, 35 first-year university students were randomly allocated 10 of 118 cards with the task to write as many physics terms as possible for each of the assigned pictures. Subsequently, 84 cards were selected for further use. In the second step, modified Dixit was tested by pre-service physics teachers. In the third step, the game was played by upper secondary students during physics lessons. In second and third step, terms used by students and students’ discussions were recorded by report sheet and audio recording. Students’ need for discussion about used terms and cards, variability and specificity of used terms and students’ attitudes to the game were investigated. Results of the research will be presented at the conference.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This work has been supported by Slovak KEGA grant 059UK-4/2022 and by Granty mladých UK UK/233/2022.
REFERENCES
Greipl, S., Moeller, K., & Ninaus, M. (2020). Potential and limits of game-based learning. International Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning, 12(4), 363-389. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJTEL.2020.110047
Roubira, J. (2021). Dixit Rulebook. Retrieved August 19, 2022, from https://www.libellud.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/DIXIT_REFRESH_RULES_US-UK-AU_BD.pd