Investigating students’ mental models and knowledge construction of microscopic friction. I. Implications for curriculum design and development
In this paper, we discuss the first phase of a multiphase study aimed at investigating the dynamics of students’ knowledge construction in the context of unfamiliar physical phenomenon—microscopic friction. The first phase of this study involved the investigation of the variations in students’ menta...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
American Physical Society
2011-07-01
|
| Series: | Physical Review Special Topics. Physics Education Research |
| Online Access: | http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.7.020102 |
| _version_ | 1818723422088200192 |
|---|---|
| author | Edgar D. Corpuz N. Sanjay Rebello |
| author_facet | Edgar D. Corpuz N. Sanjay Rebello |
| author_sort | Edgar D. Corpuz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In this paper, we discuss the first phase of a multiphase study aimed at investigating the dynamics of students’ knowledge construction in the context of unfamiliar physical phenomenon—microscopic friction. The first phase of this study involved the investigation of the variations in students’ mental models of microscopic friction. Clinical interviews were conducted with 11 students enrolled in conceptual modern physics to elicit their ideas and generate themes of explanations. A phenomenographic approach of data analysis was employed to establish the variations in students’ explanations. Results show that students’ mental models of friction at the atomic level are dominated by their macroscopic experiences. Friction at the atomic level according to most students is due to mechanical interactions (interlocking or rubbing of atoms). |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T21:10:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e48f0a67fd3648e3ace53ce53dc1f8a2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1554-9178 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T21:10:16Z |
| publishDate | 2011-07-01 |
| publisher | American Physical Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Physical Review Special Topics. Physics Education Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-e48f0a67fd3648e3ace53ce53dc1f8a22022-12-21T21:32:29ZengAmerican Physical SocietyPhysical Review Special Topics. Physics Education Research1554-91782011-07-017202010210.1103/PhysRevSTPER.7.020102Investigating students’ mental models and knowledge construction of microscopic friction. I. Implications for curriculum design and developmentEdgar D. CorpuzN. Sanjay RebelloIn this paper, we discuss the first phase of a multiphase study aimed at investigating the dynamics of students’ knowledge construction in the context of unfamiliar physical phenomenon—microscopic friction. The first phase of this study involved the investigation of the variations in students’ mental models of microscopic friction. Clinical interviews were conducted with 11 students enrolled in conceptual modern physics to elicit their ideas and generate themes of explanations. A phenomenographic approach of data analysis was employed to establish the variations in students’ explanations. Results show that students’ mental models of friction at the atomic level are dominated by their macroscopic experiences. Friction at the atomic level according to most students is due to mechanical interactions (interlocking or rubbing of atoms).http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.7.020102 |
| spellingShingle | Edgar D. Corpuz N. Sanjay Rebello Investigating students’ mental models and knowledge construction of microscopic friction. I. Implications for curriculum design and development Physical Review Special Topics. Physics Education Research |
| title | Investigating students’ mental models and knowledge construction of microscopic friction. I. Implications for curriculum design and development |
| title_full | Investigating students’ mental models and knowledge construction of microscopic friction. I. Implications for curriculum design and development |
| title_fullStr | Investigating students’ mental models and knowledge construction of microscopic friction. I. Implications for curriculum design and development |
| title_full_unstemmed | Investigating students’ mental models and knowledge construction of microscopic friction. I. Implications for curriculum design and development |
| title_short | Investigating students’ mental models and knowledge construction of microscopic friction. I. Implications for curriculum design and development |
| title_sort | investigating students mental models and knowledge construction of microscopic friction i implications for curriculum design and development |
| url | http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.7.020102 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT edgardcorpuz investigatingstudentsmentalmodelsandknowledgeconstructionofmicroscopicfrictioniimplicationsforcurriculumdesignanddevelopment AT nsanjayrebello investigatingstudentsmentalmodelsandknowledgeconstructionofmicroscopicfrictioniimplicationsforcurriculumdesignanddevelopment |