Unraveling Force and Weight Misconceptions: A Study among Medicine Enrolled Honors High School Graduates
Abstract
Throughout the years, scientific research has increasingly focused on identifying alternative ideas, or ideas that students have, about fundamental concepts and principles of physics. There has been a significant amount of valuable and essential international bibliographic information produced by this process, including details on mechanics, thermodynamics, and other science fields. Specifically, we focus on classical mechanics in the present paper. The primary objectives of this study were to investigate alternative ideas about the concept of force and weight and determine the personal interest of the honors graduate students of the 3rd Lyceum for the Physics course who attend medical school. Moreover, the gender parameter of participants was examined. Two multiple-choice questionnaires were given to students, one for investigating personal interest in Physics, using C.L.A.S.S. and, subsequently, a questionnaire related to the basic concepts of weight and force. Furthermore, we analyzed the percentage of correct and incorrect responses of the participants to determine whether the answers were related to gender or representative of statistical fluctuations. In particular, the statistical analysis of the data collected shows that many honors students of our educational system retain a large percentage of the alternative ideas about the concepts of Physics. Additionally, the misconceptions recorded in the questions did not correlate with parameters such as grades in the Panhellenic exams, gender, and students' interest in the Physics course. Our study's results can be used in science teaching, curricula design, and teachers' professional development.References
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Kotsis, K. T., & Panagou, D. (2023). The determination of the learning curve on the concept of energy using the alternatives ideas. Contemporary Mathematics and Science Education, 4(1).
Kotsis, K.T., (2023). Alternative ideas about concepts of physics, a timelessly valuable tool for physics education. Eurasian Journal of Science and Environmental Education, 3(2), 83-97. https://doi.org/10.30935/ejsee/13776
Krapp, A. (2002). An educational-psychological theory of interest and its relation to SDT.
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Rubie‐Davies, C. M. (2010). Teacher expectations and perceptions of student attributes: Is there a relationship? British Journal of Educational Psychology, 80(1), 121-135. https://doi.org/10.1348/000709909X466334
Sahin, M. (2010). Effects of problem-based learning on university students’ epistemological beliefs about physics and physics learning and conceptual understanding of Newtonian mechanics. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 19, 266-275. https://www.learntechlib.org/p/167179/
Semsar, K., Knight, J. K., Birol, G., & Smith, M. K. (2011). The Colorado learning attitudes about science survey (CLASS) for use in biology. CBE—life sciences education, 10(3), 268-278.
Soh, T. M. T., Arsad, N. M., & Osman, K. (2010). The relationship of 21st century skills on students’ attitude and perception towards physics. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 7, 546-554.
Stathopoulou, C., & Vosniadou, S. (2017, September). A role for Personal Epistemology in Conceptual Change in Physics. In Proceedings of the European Cognitive Science Conference 2007 (p. 155). Taylor & Francis.
Stylos, G., Evangelakis G. A., & Kotsis, K.T. (2008). Misconceptions on classical mechanics by freshman university students: A case study in a Physics Department in Greece. Themes in Science and Technology Education, 1(2), 157-177.
Tytler, R., & Osborne, J. (2012). Student attitudes and aspirations towards science. Second international handbook of science education, 597-625. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9041-7_41
Abell, S. K. (2013). Research on science teacher knowledge. In Handbook of research on science education (pp. 1105-1149). Routledge.
Adams, W. K., Perkins, K. K., Podolefsky, N. S., Dubson, M., Finkelstein, N. D., & Wieman, C. E. (2006). New instrument for measuring student beliefs about physics and learning physics: The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey. Physical review special topics-physics education research, 2(1).
Alwan, A. A. (2011). Misconception of heat and temperature among physics students. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 12, 600-614. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.02.074
Bal-Taştan, S., Davoudi, S. M. M., Masalimova, A. R., Bersanov, A. S., Kurbanov, R. A., Boiarchuk, A. V., & Pavlushin, A. A. (2018). The impacts of teacher’s efficacy and motivation on student’s academic achievement in science education among secondary and high school students. EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 14(6), 2353-2366. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/89579
Biesta, G. J. (2015). Good education in an age of measurement: Ethics, politics, democracy. Routledge.
Bloomfield, L. A. (2015). How things work: the physics of everyday life. John Wiley & Sons.
Boopathiraj, C., & Chellamani, K. (2013). Analysis of test items on difficulty level and discrimination index in the test for research in education. International journal of social science & interdisciplinary research, 2(2), 189-193.
Bryan, R. R., Glynn, S. M., & Kittleson, J. M. (2011). Motivation, achievement, and advanced placement intent of high school students learning science. Science education, 95(6), 1049-1065.
Chu, H. E., Treagust, D. F., Yeo, S., & Zadnik, M. (2012). Evaluation of students’ understanding of thermal concepts in everyday contexts. International Journal of Science Education, 34(10), 1509-1534.
Clement, J. (2014). A conceptual model discussed by Galileo and used intuitively by physics students. In Mental models (pp. 333-348). Psychology Press.
Daud, N. S. N., Abd Karim, M. M., Hassan, S. W. N. W., & Rahman, N. A. (2015). Misconception and Difficulties in Introductory Physics among High School and University Students: An Overview in Mechanics (34-47). EDUCATUM Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology, 2(1), 34-47.
DiSessa, A. A. (2014). A history of conceptual change research: Threads and fault lines.
Driver, R., & Easley, J. (1978). Pupils and paradigms: A review of literature related to concept development in adolescent science students. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057267808559857
Driver, R., Squires, A., Rushworth, P., & Wood-Robinson, V. (2014). Making Sense of Secondary Science: Research into children's ideas. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315747415
García, S. F., Quezada, M. D. G., Pierce, J. E. C., Saucedo, V. M. C., Estrada, E. I., & Rodríguez, M. G. C. (2016). Force understanding through an in-lab learning proposal. Entreciencias: Diálogos en la sociedad del conocimiento, 4(9), 23-37.
George, D., & Mallery, P. (2019). IBM SPSS statistics 26 step by step: A simple guide and reference. Routledge.
George, R. (2006). A cross‐domain analysis of change in students’ attitudes toward science and attitudes about the utility of science. International journal of science education, 28(6), 571-589.
Glen, S. (2020, July 26). Kuder-Richardson 20 (KR-20) & 21 (KR-21). Statistics how to: Statistics for the rest of us! https://www.statisticshowto.com/kuder-richardson/
Halloun, I., & Hestenes, D. (1996). Views About Sciences Survey: VASS.
Hollins, E. R. (2015). Culture in school learning: Revealing the deep meaning. Routledge
Holmes, N. G., & Wieman, C. E. (2018). Introductory physics labs: we can do. Physics today, 71, 1-38.
Jiang, F., & McComas, W. F. (2015). The effects of inquiry teaching on student science achievement and attitudes: Evidence from propensity score analysis of PISA data. International Journal of Science Education, 37(3), 554-576. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2014.1000426
Jovchelovitch, S. (2019). Knowledge in context: Representations, community and culture. Routledge.
Keller, M. M., Neumann, K., & Fischer, H. E. (2017). The impact of physics teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge and motivation on students’ achievement and interest. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 54(5), 586-614.
Keller, M. M., Neumann, K., & Fischer, H. E. (2017). The impact of physics teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge and motivation on students’ achievement and interest. Journal of Research in Science teaching, 54(5), 586-614.
Kikas, E. (2004). Teachers' conceptions and misconceptions concerning three natural phenomena. Journal of Research in Science Teaching: The Official Journal of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, 41(5), 432-448.
Kind, P., Jones, K., & Barmby, P. (2007). Developing attitudes towards science measures. International journal of science education, 29(7), 871-893. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500690600909091
Kotluk, Nihat, and Serhat Kocakaya. "The Effect of Creating Digital Storytelling on Secondary School Students' Academic Achievement, Self-Efficacy Perceptions and Attitudes toward Physics." International Journal of Research in Education and Science 3, no. 1 (2017): 218-227.
Kotsis, K. T. (2005). Διδασκαλία της Φυσικής και Πείραμα [Teaching Physics and Experimentation], University of Ioannina Publications.
Kotsis, K. T., & Panagou, D. (2022). Using alternative ideas for determining the learning curve on the concept of force. European Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 10(4), 495-506.
Kotsis, K. T., & Panagou, D. (2023). Self-concept of Greek primary school teachers and their conceptions of force and weight among their years of service. International Journal of Professional Development, Learners and Learning, 5(1).
Kotsis, K. T., & Panagou, D. (2023). The determination of the learning curve on the concept of energy using the alternatives ideas. Contemporary Mathematics and Science Education, 4(1).
Kotsis, K.T., (2023). Alternative ideas about concepts of physics, a timelessly valuable tool for physics education. Eurasian Journal of Science and Environmental Education, 3(2), 83-97. https://doi.org/10.30935/ejsee/13776
Krapp, A. (2002). An educational-psychological theory of interest and its relation to SDT.
Lachman, R., Lachman, J. L., & Butterfield, E. C. (2015). Cognitive psychology and information processing: An introduction. Psychology Press.
Larkin, J. H. (2014). The role of problem representation in physics. In Mental models (pp. 83-106). Psychology Press.
Lin, S. Y., & Singh, C. (2015). Effect of scaffolding on helping introductory physics students solve quantitative problems involving strong alternative conceptions. Physical Review Special Topics-Physics Education Research, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.11.020105
Lin-Siegler, X., Ahn, J. N., Chen, J., Fang, F. F. A., & Luna-Lucero, M. (2016). Even Einstein struggled: Effects of learning about great scientists’ struggles on high school students’ motivation to learn science. Journal of Educational Psychology, 108(3), 314.
Madsen, A., McKagan, S. B., & Sayre, E. C. (2015). How physics instruction impacts students’ beliefs about learning physics: A meta-analysis of 24 studies. Physical Review Special Topics-Physics Education Research, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.11.010115
Maison, D., Astalini, K., DA, S., & Perdana, R. (2020). Supporting assessment in education: E-assessment interest in physics. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 8(1), 89-97.
Maison, M., Syahria, S., Syamsurizal, S., & Tanti, T. (2019). Learning environment, students ’beliefs, and self-regulation in learning physics: structural equation modeling. Journal of Baltic Science Education, 18(3).
Mullet, D. R., Kettler, T., & Sabatini, A. (2018). Gifted students’ conceptions of their high school STEM education. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 41(1), 60-92. https://doi.org/10.1177/0162353217745156
Nowotny, H. (2015). The cunning of uncertainty. John Wiley & Sons.
Osborne, J., & Dillon, J. (2008). Science education in Europe: Critical reflections (Vol. 13). London: The Nuffield Foundation.
Osborne, R. J., Bell, B. F., & Gilbert, J. K. (1983). Science teaching and children's views of the world. European Journal of Science Education, 5(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/0140528830050101
Panagou, D., Kotsis, K. T., & Stylos, G. (2022). An empirical study on the evolution of students’ perceptions in basic concepts of physics of primary and secondary education in Cyprus. The Electronic Journal for Research in Science & Mathematics Education, 26(2), 91-109.
Perkins, K. K., Adams, W. K., Pollock, S. J., Finkelstein, N. D., & Wieman, C. E. (2005, September). Correlating student beliefs with student learning using the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey. In AIP Conference Proceedings (Vol. 790, No. 1, pp. 61-64). American Institute of Physics.
Perkins, K., Adams, W., Dubson, M., Finkelstein, N., Reid, S., Wieman, C., & LeMaster, R. (2006). PhET: Interactive simulations for teaching and learning physics. The Physics Teacher, 44, 18–23.
Reddy, M., and Buncha Panacharoensawad. "Students Problem-Solving Difficulties and Implications in Physics: An Empirical Study on Influencing Factors." Journal of Education and Practice 8, no. 14 (2017): 59-62.
Rubie‐Davies, C. M. (2010). Teacher expectations and perceptions of student attributes: Is there a relationship? British Journal of Educational Psychology, 80(1), 121-135. https://doi.org/10.1348/000709909X466334
Sahin, M. (2010). Effects of problem-based learning on university students’ epistemological beliefs about physics and physics learning and conceptual understanding of Newtonian mechanics. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 19, 266-275. https://www.learntechlib.org/p/167179/
Semsar, K., Knight, J. K., Birol, G., & Smith, M. K. (2011). The Colorado learning attitudes about science survey (CLASS) for use in biology. CBE—life sciences education, 10(3), 268-278.
Soh, T. M. T., Arsad, N. M., & Osman, K. (2010). The relationship of 21st century skills on students’ attitude and perception towards physics. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 7, 546-554.
Stathopoulou, C., & Vosniadou, S. (2017, September). A role for Personal Epistemology in Conceptual Change in Physics. In Proceedings of the European Cognitive Science Conference 2007 (p. 155). Taylor & Francis.
Stylos, G., Evangelakis G. A., & Kotsis, K.T. (2008). Misconceptions on classical mechanics by freshman university students: A case study in a Physics Department in Greece. Themes in Science and Technology Education, 1(2), 157-177.
Tytler, R., & Osborne, J. (2012). Student attitudes and aspirations towards science. Second international handbook of science education, 597-625. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9041-7_41
Published
2024-01-14
How to Cite
PANAGOU, Dimitris et al.
Unraveling Force and Weight Misconceptions: A Study among Medicine Enrolled Honors High School Graduates.
European Journal of Physics Education, [S.l.], v. 15, n. 1, p. 25-46, jan. 2024.
ISSN 1309-7202.
Available at: <https://eu-journal.org/index.php/EJPE/article/view/365>. Date accessed: 05 may 2024.
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