An Introduction to Physics Education Research

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An Introduction to Physics Education Research
PTLG Physics Teachers Lunch Group Presentation
Dr. Steven Sahyun UWW Physics
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Outline

• What is PER?
• Who does PER?
• How is PER applied and communicated?

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What is Physics Education Research (PER)?
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Sources of Information about PER

• PERG (Physics Education Research Group) sites.
• Book Connecting Research in Physics Education
  with Teacher Education, ICPE, Andrée Tiberghien,
  E. Leonard Jossem, Jorge Barojas
  http//www.physics.ohio-state.edu/jossem/ICPE/TOC
  .html
• Ph.D. Dissertation Jeffery M. Saul, Beyond
  problem solving Evaluating introductory physics
  courses through the hidden curriculum. (1998)
• http//www.physics.umd.edu/perg/dissertations/Saul
  /
• Journal Article Jan van Aalst An introduction
  to physics education research. Canadian Journal
  of Physics. 78 pp 57-71 (2000)

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Intro to PER
Research on learning of physics  Attitudes
toward physics courses (MPEX) Studies of
student conceptions about physics (FCI,
1986) Focus on gap between what lecturers have
presented and what students have learned
van Aalst Can. J. Phys, pp. 57-59
? For 95 of the class, teaching by telling
doesnt work!
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Intro to PER

• Studies of epistemological beliefs and
  assumptions and how they affect learning.
• Some common student expectations about learning
  physics
• Knowledge as authority based vs. uncertain
  answers
• 2. Coherent knowledge set vs. loose collection of
  ideas
• 3. Concept-based vs. formula-based.
• 4. Equations representation relationships,
  convenience
• 5. Classroom learning vs. real-world

van Aalst Can. J. Phys, p. 61
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Intro to PER
Think aloud protocols are used to develop
conceptual questions. Survey examples Force
Concept Inventory (FCI), Mechanics Baseline Test
(MBT), Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation
(FMCE) Effort to provide evidence of scientific
reasoning.
van Aalst Can. J. Phys, pp. 59-61
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Who does PER?
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Who does PER?
I
You?
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater seeks
proposals for the Undergraduate Research Program
which provides opportunities for students to
conduct undergraduate research, scholarship, and
creative activity in partnership with faculty
mentors. DEADLINE to RSP is 16 October 2006.
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Some of the big PER groups
http//research.physics.uiuc.edu/PER/Links.htm
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How is PER applied?
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Curriculum Development

• Workshop Physics
• Tutorials in Physics (McDermott)
• Sokoloff Interactive Lecture Demonstrations (ILD)
  and Tutorials
• PET (Goldberg)
• Applets PhET (Colorado)
• http//academics.uww.edu/physics/scs/physlinks.htm
  l
• http//www.colorado.edu/physics/phet/web-pages/sim
  ulations-base.html

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PER Journals and Conferences

• Physical Review Special Topics Physics Education
  Reserch
• http//prst-per.aps.org/
• American Journal of Physics
• http//scitation.aip.org/ajp/
• JRST http//www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/jt
  oc/31817/
• Conferences
• AAPT http//www.aapt.org/
• PERC http//web.phys.ksu.edu/perc2006/

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Next PTLG meetingsFriday, 1205 pm, Upham 166
September 22 Meet Dr. Epps (C I) and Physics
Licensure issues. September 29 QA with Tony
Tautges Whats it really like to be a high
school physics teacher?