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STUDENT MISCONCEPTIONS IN NEWTONIAN MECHANICS

Lark, Adam Christopher
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1174931800

Abstract Details

2007, Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, Physics.
A general understanding of Newton’s first and second law is demonstrated in the literature to be severely lacking or seemingly absent in most students. While several studies found some degree of success involving experimental teaching methods in high school and college classes, this study seeks to address the foundation of students’ knowledge in Newtonian Mechanics: early education. Fourth grade and sixth grade students were first interviewed, testing for current understanding of forces and motion, and subsequently taught four lessons on the topic. Lessons were designed (based on successful classroom ideas described by the literature) to target common misconceptions students have involving forces and motion. Pre-interviews confirm the lack of general understanding of many concepts described by the literature, while post-interviews show statistically significant conceptual changes in many of the targeted conceptual areas. The lessons involved in this study successfully changed student ideas on topics involving friction, forces stopping objects’ motion (as opposed to it stopping on its own), an understanding of the different ways motion can change, and that forces are what change motion. Unfortunately, the one topic described by the literature as hardest to alter remained prevalent in the students. Post-interviews show student still answering either “the force of the push” or “some external force that would keep the object moving” when asked what keeps an object in motion. A second phase of this study (a longitudinal study) will examine whether this particular misconception, after several years of these lessons, can promote stronger conceptual growth.
Stephen Van Hook (Advisor)
83 p.
Education, Physical
Misconceptions; Newton; Mechanics; Elementary; Education; Early Childhood

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Lark, A. C. (2007). STUDENT MISCONCEPTIONS IN NEWTONIAN MECHANICS [Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1174931800

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Lark, Adam. STUDENT MISCONCEPTIONS IN NEWTONIAN MECHANICS. 2007. Bowling Green State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1174931800.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Lark, Adam. "STUDENT MISCONCEPTIONS IN NEWTONIAN MECHANICS." Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1174931800

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

bgsu1174931800
8,313
© 2007, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.