Upload
nzip
View
283
Download
0
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Plenary 2: E Swinbank
Citation preview
Teaching physics in context
Elizabeth Swinbank
Centre for Innovation and Research in Science EducationUniversity of York
UK
NZIP 2011
1 Research evidence
Summary of research evidence on context-led science teaching
2 Salters Horners Advanced Physics
A context-led course developed in the UK
Key features of the development
Some examples of activities for students
3 Responses to SHAP
Views of students and teachers
Traditional approach
Start with the physics principles Students ask ‘why are we doing this?’Later they might find out
Context-led (STS)
Start with a context (story/problem/application) Explore some relevant physics
Why use contexts?
To increase student interest and motivation
To provide a structure for teaching and learning
To develop practical and other activities
To illustrate possible career opportunities
To generate a ‘spiral curriculum’
Why use contexts?
To increase student interest and motivation
To provide a structure for teaching and learning
To develop practical and other activities
To illustrate possible career opportunities
To generate a ‘spiral curriculum’
Does it work?
The EPPI (Evidence, Policy and Practice Initiative) Reviews
(1) What evidence is there from controlled evaluation studies that context-based courses improve understanding of science ideas and the attitudes to science of 11 to 18-year-old pupils, and what are the implications of the evidence for initial teacher training courses? Bennett, J., Lubben, F. and Hogarth, S. (2003) Bringing science to life: a synthesis of the research evidence on the effects of context-based and STS approaches to science teaching. Science Education, 91 (3), 347-370.
The EPPI Reviews
Systematic map of research studies:
• Most work has taken place in the USA, the UK, the Netherlands and Canada.
• Pupils in the 11 to16 age range are the target for the majority of the interventions.
• There are comparable levels of interest in the effects of such approaches on both understanding of ideas and attitudes to science or science lessons.
• A diversity of measures are used to assess effects on understanding and attitudes.
• 26 studies have drawn on designs which use control groups.
The 2003 In-depth Review
In-depth review focused on controlled evaluation studies which reported on both understanding and attitudes.
• There is some evidence to support the claim that context-based approaches motivate pupils in their science lessons.
• There is evidence to support the claim that such approaches also foster more positive attitudes to science more generally.
• There is good evidence to support the claim that context-based approaches do not adversely affect pupils’ understanding of scientific ideas.
The EPPI Reviews: two further in-depth reviews
(2) What is the evidence from evaluative studies of the effect of context-based or STS courses on the attitude to science and/or the understanding of science ideas of boys and girls in the 11 to 16 age range?
What is the evidence from evaluative studies of the effect of context-based or STS courses on the attitude to science and/or the understanding of science ideas of lower-ability pupils in the 11 to 16 age range?
Lubben F, Bennett J, Hogarth S, Robinson A (2005) A systematic review of the effects of context-based and Science-Technology-Society (STS) approaches in the teaching of secondary science on boys and girls, and on lower-ability pupils. In: Research Evidence in Education Library. London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London.
The 2005 In-depth Reviews
The small number of studies were of variable quality. There is reasonable evidence for the following:
• Both boys and girls using a context-based/STS approach held significantly more positive attitudes to science than their male/female peers using a traditional approach.
• A context-based/STS approach to teaching science narrowed the gap between boys and girls in their attitude to science.
• In cases when boys enjoyed the materials significantly more than girls, this was due to the nature of the practical work
• In cases when girls enjoyed materials significantly more than boys, this was because of the non-practical activities.
The EPPI Reviews
To read the full reports go to
http://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/cms/
evidence library
reviews search
curriculum topics
science
NB there are many other EPPI reviews of interest!
Salters Horners Advanced Physics (SHAP)
Context-led physics for students aged 16-19
A two-year programme (4-5 hours/week) leading to university entrance qualification
Supported by published materials
Salters Horners Advanced Physics
Key features
Context led
Practical and IT activities
Scientific, mathematical and key skills
Developed by teachers, academics and industrialists
Materials for teachers, students and technicians
Extension and revision materials
On-going support for users
Developing the complete SHAP programme took two years and involved:
teachersuniversity academicsphysicists and engineers working in
industrypublishersexamination organisationssponsors
We researched a large number of contexts.
We selected 11 for further development.
Criteria for selecting contexts
interest
variety
physics content at right level
focus on 1-2 main areas of physics
activities for students
authentic data available
Principles for developing complete programme
Progression in physics
Progression in maths
Variety and choice
Activities for students
Reliability
Wider context
Progression in physics
1-3 main physics areas in each chapter
Smooth progression
Links between chapters
Be selective. Do not try to cover all the physics relating to the context.
Progression in maths
Include notes on basic maths
Develop more advanced maths where needed
Variety and choice
Offer a range of activities
Encourage teachers and students to select
Activities for students
Use contexts are starting points
Test activities to make sure they work
Use authentic data
Include simple activities
Content taught through eleven contexts
SportFood industrySpare part surgeryMusicSpace technologyArchaeologyRail transportTelecommunicationsParticle physicsBuilding designAstronomy
Good Enough to Eat
What part does physics play in making biscuits and sweets?
How is food manufacture monitored and controlled?
Eat some sweets
Describe them: hard, brittle, smooth, chewy ...
We need words with precise meaning.
We need properties we can measure.
Stretch some sweets
Plot graphs of load and extension
Apply standard materials testing techniques to sweets and biscuits
Higher, Faster, Stronger
How can athletes and coaches monitor and improve technique?
How does sports equipment and clothing affect performance?
How can sporting activities be made both exciting and safe?
Sports: sprinting, tennis, weightlifting, high-jump, climbing, bungee jumping, skiing
equations and graphs of motion vectors projectiles Newton’s laws kinetic and potential energy
use of ICT, datalogging
Bungee challenge
Set up a model bungee jump using a piece of elastic. By calculating elastic energy from a force-extension graph, you can work out the height from which an object of given mass can ‘jump’ with a given piece of elastic, so that it will just miss the floor.
The Bungee Challenge
The model bungee jumper has mass 9.1g
The elastic cord is 0.50 m long
You have a graph showing energy and extension
What is the best height for the launch platform?
Bungee challenge
Self evaluation
I/we predicted the correct height and achieved a drop that was both safe and exciting.
I/we predicted too high. The jumper complained that s/he had not been scared enough.
I/we would not be hired as bungee operators.
Model ski jump to introduce projectile motion
Technology in Space
What is the best way to provide electrical power for instruments on a space craft?
How do extremes of temperature affect electrical components?
How can position and speed be measured remotely?
32
Power supply
dc circuits
current, emf, power, resistance
internal resistance
maximum power transfer
Solar cells
photoelectric effect
radiation flux
efficiency
How do archaeologists decide where to dig?
How can specimens be examined and analysed?
Digging up the Past
An example of a context-led chapter using archaeology
We researched several areas before deciding what to include
DatingThermoluminescenceCarbon-14Tree rings
Artefact analysisX-raysMass spectrometryMicroscopySpectroscopy
Site surveyingGeomagnetic surveyResistive surveyGround-based radar
Context Physics Comments
Resistive survey of an archaeological site
DC electric circuitsResistivityModelling electrical properties Potential divider
Builds on the Space Technology chapter
X-rays in archaeology
Electromagnetic spectrumX-ray absorption and penetrationX-ray diffraction
Builds on the Space Technology and Music chaptersMicroscopes in
archaeologyResolving power and wavelengthElectron waves
This is what we chose to include
Site surveying
dc circuitsresistivity
X-ray analysis of artefacts
electromagnetic spectrumdiffraction and superposition
Microscopic analysisresolutionelectron diffraction
Archaeologists at work
detecting fakes and hoaxes
digging sensitive sites
Exploring the site
A survey reveals areas of high and low resistivity
that may indicate buried structures
SHAP students
review earlier work on dc circuits
measure resistance and resistivity
compare resistivity of various materials
display data on a log scale
use a simple theoretical model to explain resistivity
make and use potential divider circuits
discuss ethical issues about digging sensitive sites
Analysing an artefact
X-radiographs can reveal hidden features
X-ray diffraction help can identify chemical composition
SHAP students
review earlier work on electromagnetic radiation
learn about properties of X-rays
review earlier work on waves
use ripple tanks and lasers to explore diffraction and interference
learn about X-ray power photography
use X-ray data to deduce information about an artefact
Taking a closer look
Microscopes can provide useful information about very small artefacts such as clothing fibres
For some objects, such as pollen grains, electron microscopes are needed
SHAP students
measure the resolving power of their own eyes
learn how diffraction limits resolving power
review earlier work on wave-particle duality (photons, waves)
explore electron diffraction
The Medium is the Message
How is information sent, received and displayed?
Telecommunication and display
Uniform electric field Capacitors: energy Charged particles in magnetic field LED and LCD displays Power demands – environmental issues Fibre optics: exponential attenuation
Analogue and digital signals
Sampling an analogue signal
What must be the lowest sampling frequency?
What happens if the sampling frequency is too low?
Model optical fibre system
infrared emitting diode
infrared detector
jelly ‘fibre’
Plot a graph of signal strength against length of fibre.
Use the results to explore exponential change
SHAP students say
“The compact disc player, that is obviously something we use quite a lot as teenagers. You just take it out and just assume it plays. It was interesting to learn about how.”
“I do a lot of bungee jumping myself ... So when you actually do the physics of it and it is presented in a less than formal manner when the teaching starts off, then it can be quite entertaining. It was just interesting to calculate.”
“I liked the Secrets of Resistance, because the topic would mean nothing without being able to apply it to something. It made sense with this application.”
Destinations of SHAP students
Engineering 20%
Physics 12 %
Computer science 10%
Maths 10%
SHAP teachers say
“In all of our contacts with outside companies ... there has been a tremendous response in terms of wanting to help students understand physics and engineering in the real world, and to encourage students into careers in these areas.”
“Everything they have learnt so far has fallen into place and they can now explain new material for themselves.”
“This is physics in the real world, the world my students live in. It is physics which is so obviously useful and interesting.”
SHAP publications
AS (1st year)
AS Student Book ISBN 978 1 4058 9602 3
AS Teacher and Technician Resource Pack ISBN 978 1 4058 9603 0
A2 (2nd year)
A2 Student BookISBN 978 1 4082 0586 0
A2 Teacher and Technician Resource PackISBN 978 1 4082 0587 7
Go to www.amazon.com and search by ISBNor call +44 800 579579