Physics Teaching| Physics Teaching |
Goals and Methods
* Tendencies: 2001, Inquiry-based
teaching idea has been around for some time; e-learning is emerging.
@ General references:
Morrison AJP(64)jun;
Crane AJP(68)dec;
Pflug pr(87);
Berry ed-88;
Schwartz AJP(90)nov;
Romer AJP(90)dec;
McDermott AJP(91)apr;
Van Heuvelen AJP(91)oct,
AJP(91)oct;
Lochhead AJP(91)nov;
Dresden 92;
Jennison & Ogborn ed-94;
Wolf PT(94)oct;
Knight 03 [r AJP(04)mar];
Redish 03;
Raine pw(04)jan;
Ellse & Osborne pw(04)jan [for whom?];
Henderson AJP(05)aug [challenges];
Wieman & Perkins PT(05)nov;
Grayson PT(06)feb;
Griffiths pw(09)sep [role of teacher];
Aguilar et al PT(14)may [psychological insights];
Gavrin TPT(15)oct [respecting our students].
@ Physics education research: Hestenes AJP(98)jun;
McDermott & Redish AJP(99)sep [RL];
Holcomb AJP(01)apr [comment];
Heron & Meltzer AJP(05)may;
Henderson & Dancy AJP(08)jan,
Henderson AJP(08)feb [vs implementation];
McDermott AJP(14)aug.
@ Philosophical perspectives: Blachowicz BJPS(09) [textbook treatment of the scientific method].
@ Interactive, active learning:
Freedman in(96);
Hake AJP(98)jan [vs traditional];
Coleman et al AJP(98)feb [IUPP evaluation];
Crouch & Mazur AJP(01)sep [Peer Instruction];
Meltzer & Manivannan AJP(02)jun;
Meltzer & Thornton AJP(12)jun [RL];
Whitworth et al TPT(14)jan [kinesthetic investigations];
Franklin et al AJP(14)aug [vs traditional];
Sokoloff TPT(16)jan [light and optics];
Trout et al TPT(19)jan [with service learning].
@ Inquiry-based: Brouwer AJP(84)jul [problem posing];
Thacker et al AJP(94)jul;
McDermott 95.
@ Strategies and methods:
Grayson AJP(04)aug [concept substitution];
Fredlund et al EJP(12) [role of physics representations];
Brown & Covault TPT(15) [re-cycling method];
Mungan TPT(16)may [in defense of derivations];
Adams & Willis TPT(15)nov [student curiosity];
Burko TPT(16)oct [case study approach].
@ Physics majors: Abraham et al AJP(91)feb;
Adelberger AJP(94)oct [research];
Ehrlich AJP(98)jan;
Manogue et al AJP(01)sep [paradigms];
McDonnell AJP(05)jul [why so few];
McNeil & Heron PT(17)nov,
Day editorial PT(17)nov [physics curriculum and careers].
@ Other majors: McCall AJP(01)sep [pre-pharmacy].
@ K-12 teaching: McDermott et al AJP(06)sep,
Hodapp et al PT(09)feb [teacher preparation].
Theory of Physics Learning
* PER: (Physics Education Research)
Two approaches, empirical (learning of specific topics), and theoretical (predicting
learning outcomes).
* Goals for non-science majors:
Scientific literacy is not very well defined nor realistic, but scientific
awareness of what a theory or a scientific fact are, and how to distinguish
experts from quacks ("evolution is just a theory") is important.
* Method: Demonstrate the scientific
process, as opposed to putting all the emphasis on the products or facts.
@ And teaching:
Swann AJP(51)mar [importance of concepts];
Strnad EJP(86)
[using research into students' conceptions and physics of everyday life];
Hestenes AJP(87)may;
Cromer 97 [philosophy];
Redish et al AJP(98)mar [attitudes];
Redish & Steinberg PT(99)jan;
May & Etkina AJP(02)dec [conceptual learning];
Lising & Elby AJP(05)apr [and student epistemology];
news sn(17)sep.
@ Conceptual understanding: Kim & Pak AJP(02)jul [and traditional problem solving];
Aktan EJP(13) [DC electricity concepts]
@ Difficulties:
Maloney AJP(81)aug [reasoning abilities];
Ford AJP(89)oct;
von Baeyer ThSc(90)nov;
Romer AJP(93)dec [editorial];
Camp & Clement 94;
PW(95)jun, p17;
Redish AJP(14)jun [how our students think].
@ Personal: Sommerfeld AJP(49)may.
@ Other topics: Brush TPT(69) [role of history];
Maloney AJP(87)apr [cognition];
Tobias & Abel AJP(90)sep [and humanities];
Tobias 92 [motivating students];
Redish AJP(94)sep [cognitive studies];
Stith PT(96)jul [ethnic diversity].
History and Specific Places
* Beginnings: Until the
late Middle Ages "the" physics textbook was Aristotle's.
@ General references:
Otero & Meltzer TPT(16) [100 years].
@ Italy:
Sparavigna a1307 [problems from a book by Torricelli].
@ Spain: Vaquero & Santos S&E(01)phy/00 [XIX century].
@ UK: Ogborn pw(99)oct [IoP initiative];
news BBC(07)mar [re report].
In Everyday Life > s.a. physics teaching by
subjects; light; technology.
* Remark: Some simple phenomena still have
to be explained – but the Moon illusion (> see earth)
is not a physical effect.
@ General references: Lente 87;
Rees & Viney AJP(88)may [cooling tea and coffee];
de Mestre 90;
Ingram 90;
Walker 90;
Ghose & Home 94;
Jargodzki & Potter 01
[puzzles; r pw(01)jul];
Griffith & Brosing 11 [text, 7th ed];
Bloomfield 09 [e3 r pw(06)dec];
Jaffe & Taylor 18 [energy].
@ Related topics: insert NS(91)jan19 [quantum mechanics];
Nagel AJP(99)jan [breakfast table];
Tannenbaum a1006-talk [applications of fundamental research].
Applications > see physics teaching by subjects; practical aspects.
main page
– abbreviations
– journals – comments
– other sites – acknowledgements
send feedback and suggestions to bombelli at olemiss.edu – modified 20 feb 2019