Reality Physics Teaching (RPT) for Improving Student Expectations in Learning Physics

1. Reality Physics Teaching (RPT) for Improving Student Expectationsin Learning Physics Umporn Wutchana Institute for innovation and development of learning process Mahidol University

2. Out line • Introduction • Motivation • Pilot studies • Research Questions • Research Objectives • Research Hypotheses • Research Methodology • Expected Outcomes

3. Introduction • Student attitudes, beliefs and assumptionabout physics and learning physics play a critical role in their learning and understanding about physics.

4. Introduction • Student attitudes, beliefs and assumptionabout physics and learning physics play a critical role in their learning and understanding about physics. attitudes beliefs expectations assumption

5. Introduction • Physics education researchers have probedstudent expectations. • Physics education researchers distinguished the expectations of experts and the expectations of novices. • Physics education researchers found relationships between student expectationsand their learning.

6. Motivation • Student expectations affect their conceptual learning. • Most students still have more novice-like expectations after physics courses. • Can improving student expectations cause improvement of their conceptual learning?

7. Survey and Test • Maryland Physics Expectation Survey (MPEX) University of Maryland Physics Education Research Group in 1992 • Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation (FMCE) Thornton and Sokoloff 1998

8. MPEX • University of Maryland Physics Education Research Group in 1992 • 34 items • 5-option Likert scale Strongly disagree Neutral Agree Disagree Strongly agree

9. MPEX • Responses agreeing with the experts were defined as favorable responses. • Responses disagreeing with the experts were defined as unfavorableresponses. favorable unfavorable

11. MPEX • Independence • Coherence • Concepts • Reality Link • Math Link • Effort

12. MPEX • Independence • Coherence • Concepts • Reality Link • Math Link • Effort Learning physics means reconstructing one’s own understanding.

13. MPEX • Independence • Coherence • Concepts • Reality Link • Math Link • Effort The structure of physics knowledge is based on a single coherent system.

14. MPEX • Independence • Coherence • Concepts • Reality Link • Math Link • Effort The content of physics knowledge is based on concepts that underlie the formulas.

15. MPEX • Independence • Coherence • Concepts • Reality Link • Math Link • Effort Physics is connected with reality.

16. MPEX • Independence • Coherence • Concepts • Reality Link • Math Link • Effort Mathematical formalism is used as a way of representing information about physics phenomena.

17. MPEX • Independence • Coherence • Concepts • Reality Link • Math Link • Effort Activities and work are necessary to make sense out of physics.

18. FMCE • Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation (FMCE) was developed by Thornton and Sokoloff (1998). • FMCE was designed to probe students understanding of force and motion. • 46 items

19. Questions for Pilot Studies • What are Thai student expectations toward learning physics? • What are the relationships between student expectations and their physics learning? • What are the student expectations after a physics course? • What are the student expectations after an active learning?

20. Pilot studies • Student expectations toward learning physics • Correlations between student expectations and their learning • Student expectations after a traditional physics course • Student expectations after an active learning

21. Student expectations toward learning physics MPEX First-Year students High-Schoolstudents Student Expectations Part 1

22. Student expectations toward learning physics Percentage (%) of students giving Favorableresponses on MPEX survey 2006. Part 1

23. Student expectations toward learning physics Percentage (%) of students giving Favorableresponses on MPEX survey 2006. Part 1

24. Student expectations toward learning physics FY FY % Redish et al., 1998 % Part 1

25. Correlations between student expectations and their learning MPEX/FMCE Pre-test First-Year Students FMCE Post-test Student Expectations/Conceptual learning Outcomes Part 2

26. Correlations between student expectations and their learning Part 2

27. Correlations between student expectations and their learning % FAV Part 2

28. Student expectations after a physics course MPEX Pre-test High-SchoolStudents (A traditional class) Post-test MPEX Student Expectation Changes Part 3

29. Student expectations after a physics course Percentage (%) of high-school students giving favorable responses on MPEX survey before and after a physics course 2007. Part 3

30. Student expectations after a physics course Percentage (%) of high-school students giving favorable responses on MPEX survey before and after a physics course 2007. Part 3

31. Student expectations after an active learning 2 STATEMENTS Pre-test MPEX High-SchoolStudents (An active learning class) Post-test 2 STATEMENTS Student Expectation Changes Part 4

32. Student expectations after an active learning # 1: Physics has a relation to the real world. # 2: Leaning physics helps me understand situations in my everyday life. Part 4

33. Student expectations before an active learning # 1: Physics has a relation to the real world. Part 4

34. Student expectations after an active learning # 1: Physics has a relation to the real world. Part 4

35. Student expectations before an active learning # 2: Leaning physics helps me understand situations in my everyday life. Part 4

36. Student expectations after an active learning # 2: Leaning physics helps me understand situations in my everyday life. Part 4

37. Preliminary Results • Thai student had more novice-like expectations. • Student expectations were changed to be more novice-like after a physics course. • Positive correlations between student expectations and their conceptual learning were found. • Student expectations are important factor affecting their learning

38. Research Questions • What are Thai student expectations toward learning physics? • Can Reality Physics Teaching (RPT) improve the student expectations in the Reality Link cluster? • What are relationships between the student expectations and their physics learning?

39. Research Objectives • To investigate Thai student expectations toward learning physics. • To design Reality Physics Teaching (RPT) for improving student Reality Link expectations toward learning physics. • To study relationships between the student expectations and their physics learning outcomes.

40. Research Hypotheses • Students who have more sophisticated expectations toward learning physics learn physics better than others. • Reality Physics Teaching (RPT) can be used to improve student Reality Link expectations toward learning physics.

41. Research Methodology • Phase 1 Student expectations and Conceptual learning Investigation • Phase 2 Design Reality Physics Teaching • Phase 3Reality Physics Teaching Evaluation

42. Phase 1 Student expectations and Conceptual learning Investigation Investigate Thai student expectations and their conceptual learning PHASE 1 Find the relationships between student expectations and their conceptual learning

43. Phase 2 Design Reality Physics Teaching Design Reality Physics Teaching (RPT) for improving student Reality Link expectations PHASE 2 Use the RPT to teach students in order to improve their expectations Redesign RPT if No improvement in expectations Determine student expectation changes

44. Reality Physics Teaching (RPT) • RPT focus on Kinematics • Goals of Reality Physics Teaching • Improve expectations about Reality Link • Improve conceptual understanding • Connect classroom learning with real-word experience

45. Reality Physics Teaching (RPT) • Principle for RPT: each lesson plan includes activities that • engage students to join in interactive learning • provide activities that invite students to construct their own understanding about physics concepts • help students modify their common conceptions about physical phenomena that make it difficult for them to understand general principle of physics • connect real word experience with classroom learning • provide opportunities for class discussion of student ideas and findings

46. An Example of RPT Activities RPT : SPEED

47. An Example of RPT Activities • 4-5 students were grouped. • The student groups were asked to find how fast people or animals move. • The students find the answer using the provided instrument. • A Timer • A Measuring Tape • A Sheet of Paper • The students present their method and results. • All of them have time for discussion • The students conclude how to find speed of things.

48. An Example of RPT Activities

49. An Example of RPT Activities

50. An Example of RPT Activities