| Numerous approaches to the teaching of physics have emerged over the past several decades in part due to the low achievement of students and the subsequent decrease in numbers who are enrolling in physics courses in postsecondary school. This is especially true in technical and community colleges among students whose previous backgrounds and experiences with physics have not predicted high achievement with subsequent coursework in the area.; The academic and employment demands of this century, however, require that students enrolled in advanced coursework master physics principles. Unfortunately, many postsecondary students—including those who have passed a high school physics course—experience difficulties with the concepts and the applications of physics principles even if they have completed prerequisite algebra and trigonometry courses. Unfortunately, the basic understanding and approaches to problem solving of many students remain poor.; Most Texas State Technical College (TSTC) students who are enrolled in college physics have difficulty with the concepts and applications of physical phenomenon. Many drop the course after the first test; others remain in the course, but make poor grades. Too few make passing grades.; In order to attack these issues, the investigator developed an approach to learning physics that is based on the cognitive aspects of problem solving, an alternative approach to teaching physics. The approach is based on the work of Novak, Ploetzner & Spada, Mestre, and Larkin and focuses student attention of the conceptual rather than only the quantitative aspects of physics. A small group mastery learning component was developed and implemented to take advantage of the growing body of research on cooperative learning in postsecondary schools.; The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of small group exercises that emphasize the cognitive aspects of problem solving on the achievement of first-year college physics students.; An experimental research design was used in this study. The independent variable was the method of instruction, one of which was the strategy described above and the other which was the more commonly used application of mathematics relationships strategy. The dependent variable was student achievement as measured by an achievement test which focused on knowledge and application of physics principles.; The sample was composed of Texas State Technical College students. Twenty-four individuals were in the experimental group and 21 in the control group. An analysis of covariance technique was utilized for analyzing the data. The results indicated that the college physics achievement of undergraduate college physics students who experienced the cognitive aspects of problem-solving instruction was statistically significantly greater than that of undergraduate college physics students who experienced non-cognitive aspects of problem-solving methods of instruction. |
