Knowledge construction in high school physics: A study of student/teacher interaction

This study is a description and analysis of student learning when required to use vector mathematics to represent two dimensional situations in the solution of grade 12 physics problems. Coupled with this exploration, the role of a teacher as a facilitator in creating effective conditions and interactions to facilitate student knowledge construction was critically analyzed. Nine grade 12 physics students volunteered to participate in a process of articulating their reasoning and problem solving strategies over a sixteen week period in a regular secondary school classroom setting. The participants were taught the normal content of the Saskatchewan grade 12 physics curriculum by the researcher who is an accredited, experienced physics teacher. Data were collected by video recording of classroom sessions, interviews, student assignments, and field notes maintained by the researcher.;Student learning is described through a combination of excerpts of student discourse and data collected from other sources during the study. Interpretation of student-teacher interaction is informed by a constructivist perspective of student knowledge construction and conceptual development in science education, and the personal teaching experience of the researcher. Student learning during increasingly complex use of vector mathematics is described. The sequence of topics begins with vector addition and subtraction, and problems requiring those functions for solution. Vector components are then developed using a combination of classroom activities and interactive discussion. The final topic developed is momentum.;Students were found to have well developed experiential knowledge which interfered with their construction of conceptual knowledge. Concrete examples did not guarantee that students would develop conceptual understanding of a given phenomenon. Students used algorithms indiscriminately and often did not know if their answers were reasonable. When momentum was introduced, the students showed a variety of attempts at constructing the concept. They did not appear to understand the complex process of mathematical representation during the study even when they were instructed about the process. Students confused the meanings of equal and balanced which led to mistakes in writing vector equations representing relationships between forces. They did not seem to understand why vector mathematics had to be used in solving problems even when they correctly employed them in calculations. Transfer of knowledge from mathematics classes to physics classes was almost non-existent.;In the final chapter recommendations for changes to physics curriculum and instructional strategies are presented. Student difficulty in applying vector mathematics to physics problem is explained in terms of student difficulty in understanding direction as a characteristic of some physics concepts and in representing physics concepts using mathematical models. Suggestions for future research include development of instruction to facilitate student understanding of mathematical representation and metacognitive skill development by students.