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Physics: Frightful, but fun.
3 November 2004Working seminar
CSSME, University of Leeds
Carl Angell
Physics: Frightful, but fun. Pupils' and teachers' views of physics and physics teaching
Carl Angell3 November 2004
The aims of the project• explore the factors that influence young people's choice to study (or not to study) physics in upper secondary school and university
• explore how pupils, teachers and university students perceive physics as a subject
• explore how pupils, teachers and university students experience physics instruction
Method
Questionnaires to the following respondent groups:
• Grade 12 physics pupils 1 141 responses
• Grade 13 physics pupils 1 051 responses
• Physics teachers 342 responses
• 1st year physics students 196 responses
• 4th year students 49 responses
A9. We ask you to give your opinions of the grade 12 physics courseby checking the appropriate boxes in the table below.
I find the grade 12 physicscourse
very easy quite easy OK quitedifficult
verydifficult
I find the content of thephysics course
very un-interesting
quite un-interesting
OK quiteinteresting
veryinteresting
I find the quality ofphysics instruction very poor Quite poor OK quite good very good
Example: Closed question
A11. What I see as most characteristic of physics is:
A12. What I like best about physics is:
Example: Open questions
Focus group interviews
• 8 focus group sessions with 54 pupils• Groups were segmented according to
gender• 4 groups were held with grade 12
pupils and 4 with grade 13 pupils
– (Also focus group interviews with teachers)
Percentage
100806040200
Physics
English
Social science
The subject is (very) difficult
The subject is (very) interesting
Instruction is (very) good
The amount of work is (very) big
The speed of instructionis (very) high
Physics: Hard, but interesting
In physics understanding is essential. That might be problematic, but has also positive aspects:
Boy, gr. 13:I hate just accepting too much, such as in maths (...) pure rote learning, as I said. (...) But in physics it is OK, right? Most of it is understanding.
Girls have higher expectations regarding their understanding than the boys:
Girl, gr. 13: I think maybe boys have an advantage (. . .) girls have to understand things, right? Because girls get hooked on it, whereas boys can kind of accept it more, and then they get on since they just let it lie
Doing calculations from basic laws
Understanding everyday phenomena
Learning to use measurement equipment
Understanding everyday technology
Experiencing exciting experiments
Getting to know history of science
Forming opinions
Understanding the world
What is (very) important in school physics?
0 20 40 60 80 100
Percentage answering "(very) important"
teachersstudents
The social element of physics knowledge appeared especially important for the girls:
• Girl: ..it is quite fun, that theory of relativity. I got quite fascinated.
• Girl: I have explained relativity theory to several people, but then they all gave me stupid looks when I ...
• Girl: (laughing) Yeah, right!
0 20 40 60 80 100
Seeing connections to everyday world
Doing experiments
Extensive curriculum
Fast progression
Using maths to describe phys phenom
Using maths in solving problems
Using laws in solving problems
Many new concepts
Percentage answering "(very) problematic"
Pupils gr 12 + 13
Teachers
What is problematic in physics?
Mathematics in Physics – A Problem?
• “simple and uncomplicated calculations”,
• “everyone knows enough maths to do calculations in physics”.
• “If there are (..) teachers who complain that we do not know the maths, then at least they should show us”
• “When we have (...) two or three formulas that have a connection between them, and then we had to do some calculations on them and do some changes and such. We are not so good at that”
Mathematics in Physics – A Problem?
• It seems that it is the "translation" from a physical situation to a mathematical expression that causes trouble.
0 20 40 60 80 100
Difficult, demanding
Interesting
Explains the world
Experiments
Formulas, laws, calculations, maths
Percentage mentioning characteristic
Pupils gr 12 + 13
Teachers
What I see as most characteristic of physics as a subject is:
Models
• Boy: I lost some interest in grade 12 when it was emphasised that this is only a model and reality isn't like that.
• Girl: [Physics is] reality in another way, you might say
• Girl: You don't discuss reality as it is, but in a way what lies behind
Perception of physics instructionlectures, new topics
lectures, prob solv
math
qualitative
students proposals
demonstrations
cookbook experiments
free choice experim
classdisc of concept
groupdisc of concept
prob solving alone
prob solv in groups
free choice projectssupplement litterat
5.04.03.02.01.0
teacher
student - how it is
student - wishes
1 - never
2 - seldom
3 - sometimes
4 - often
5 - very often
Std. error < 0.06
The Teacher
• In one of the focus groups, pupils from two separate classes with different teachers discussed the instruction. It appeared that the two teachers used very different methods, but both groups of pupils were satisfied with their own teacher and maintained that he gave the best instruction. This reinforces the impression that pupils adapt strongly to the teaching they actually do receive.
”Closed system”
• The picture that emerges of Norwegian physics pupils and their teachers is that they represent a "closed system" where both parties seem to get the subject they want. Pupils appear quite conservative, they are satisfied with the subject and the instruction and have few wishes for change. The teachers on their side get interested and motivated pupils who are very much like themselves.
What do you see as most characteristic of physics as a subject?
A lot of knowledge we probably never will use in our daily life
Always something to neglect in order that the formula should remain valid
Difficult topics, explained in a even more difficult way, with a lot of confusing formulas
Learn about things that are obvious, that the sky is blue and that bodies fall to the ground
Little philosophy. We never discuss whether people perceive things as they really are
Explanations of things that I didn't think needed any explanation, - but turned out to be interesting.
The road ahead• Make the subject less demanding and work-
intensive? • Emphasise science knowledge in context?• By appearing more "person-oriented" to
attract girls?• Use more qualitative/conceptual discussions
and demonstrations?• Make the role of experiments more clear?• Integrate mathematics in the physics
course?• Provide more variation in teaching methods?
But:•How would such changes be received
by the teachers and pupils who are presently pursuing school physics?
•Will changes in physics curricula and instruction styles be enough to change the current trend for young people to turn away from the subject?