Study Of Learning Progression On The Essential Model Of Light In Middle School Physics

Recently, s an important form of representation, the model has been recognized in the field of science education gradually. "Learning progression" research has very important significance for the convergence of the different stages of curriculum, teacher’s teaching and student’s individual learning, curriculum evaluation and so on, which has attracted wide attention of researchers at home and abroad.This study through combing the history of optical development, the human knowledge of the essential model of light is divided into four basic models which are ray model, particle model, wave model and wave particle duality model.In this study, we use the complexity of two-dimensional energy advanced hypothesis model which constructed by the Neumann ect for reference, by analysing middle and high school curriculum standards and textbooks and the present understanding of students on the optical conception, constructing learning progression framework of the essence model of light in the middle school physics curriculum.The research based on the learning progression framework, designing test questionnaire about students’understangding to the essence model of light.We investigate 953 students in Jingzhou City, Hubei Province, four junior high schools, three high schools and a University, drawing the following conclusion:(1) the Rasch model quantitative analysis subjects person ability and item difficulty value, this sample reliability of the study was 0.78 and subject reliability was 0.99, reliability test value is good, a high degree of matching with the requirements of this study; the subject of difficulty on white figure according to each classification model of different levels shows a normal distribution; box plots show that with growth of the grade, the student’s ability value gradually increased, indicating that the students’understanding of concepts and laws more accurate, validating learning progression framework of the essence model of light effectively. But the change is not obvious in 10,11 grade to 12 grade, the reason may be the optical part of the high school as an elective content, not be valued by high school teachers and students.(2) qualitative analysis shows that the students’ understanding of the ray model is most profound, but there are some wrong understanding like light can bend, in any case the light doesn’t change the original direction and so on, and they usually solve problem by taking advantage of the experience; The understanding level of other three model mostly stay in mapping and association level, they especially the 8 grade students use experience to solve the problem, most students of 9-11 grade can only reach grasp the facts and experience and establish quantitative relationship, very few of they can achieve the concept and integration level; most student of 13 grade can use the scientific concepts and rules to solve the problems and establish the relation between the knowledge.