Research On Learning Progression In Mechanics Concepts Of Senior One Students

Domestic teaching present situation of physics concepts is unsatisfactory,and many students’ learning of these concepts is fragmented.Therefore,the relative study of learning progression has been increasingly emphasized by scholars.The study focuses on the learning progression of physics concepts,which is around the three specific concepts of “Gravity”,“Elasticity” and “Friction” in the mechanics’ section in Grade One of senior high school.This study can mainly be divided into three parts as follows:In the first part,based on a hierarchy model for the development of science conceptual understanding,through the analysis of the curriculum standards,students’ pre-concept and myth conceptual literature are sorted out.Through interviews with teachers,learning progression of the three specific concepts “Gravity”,“Elasticity” and“Friction” under the theme of “Interactions” in mechanics of Grade One of senior high school is constructed.In the second part,firstly,based on the constructed learning progression,test tool is developed,and a test is conducted on the students of Grade One of senior high school in Fuzhou.Then,the Rasch model is used to analyze the test results,and modify inappropriate test questions to optimize the test tool.This is followed by a second round of tests using the optimized test tool,the aim of which is to investigate the actual level of students’ understanding of the concepts of “Gravity”,“Elasticity” and“Friction”.In the end,four teaching strategies are proposed according to the test results.The third part,by the proposed teaching strategies,based on learning progression,teaching design is carried on for the sections of Elasticity and Static Friction.The results from the tests on students demonstrate:Most students in Grade One of senior high school can understand the concepts of“Gravity”,“Elasticity” and “Friction” in the “relations” level(Level Three),and the students’ understanding of the concepts of “Gravity” and “Elasticity” is better than that of“Friction”.Their ability to use mechanical tools such as the synthesis and decomposition of forces appears to be weak.Their understanding of concepts is insufficient,especially about the connotation and extension of concepts.In the process of concept learning,the students lack reflection on concepts,unable to transfer the physical methods used in the construction of concepts,and cannot establish links between concepts and their corresponding core concepts.