- The strategies students use to solving unfamiliar problems,
- Student understanding of diffraction and interference, and
- Methods for encouraging students to see connections between contexts and problems.
Using a student Model Analysis developed by Lei Bao during his PhD, Bao and I are investigating the fine structure of student models with regard to Newton's Third Law. In developing the new instruments, we are conducting detailed investigations on student modeling with specific physical features such as mass, velocity and acceleration. By isolating these physical features, we hope to obtain a clearer picture on the structures of student models. This work will be the subject of talks by Bao and myself at the AAPT 2000 Winter Meeting.
The physics education community has invested considerable time and effort in to improving pre service teacher training over the past 15 years. At Kansas State University we attempt to prepare elementary teachers through a learning cycle course Concepts of Physics1. The course is strongly activity based, and the students work through a series of explorations and applications to build an understanding of mechanics, energy, electricity and magnertism. As part of an evaluation of this course we asked students about their attitudes to learning and teaching physics. This research focusses on the rather complex perceptions and attitudes students have about their own learning processes, how their knowledge informs and influences their teaching and their expectations for children's learning of physics.
Continuing reseach into how student learn physical optics. Several issues are being followed up from my PhD work including:
