This work set out to investigate two questions: 1) what is the state of qualitative understanding of magnetism at various stages of expertise? 2) What approaches to problem-solving are used across the spectrum of expertise? I studied three groups: ten novices (university students who had completed one introductory course in electricity and magnetism), ten experts-in-training (upper division and graduate students) and 11 experts (physics professors and researchers). Data collection involved structured interviews during which participants solved a series of non-standard problems in magnetism while thinking out loud. The problems were designed to test for conceptual understanding. The interviews were audio taped, transcribed, and analyzed using a grounded theory approach. None of the novices and only a few of the experts in training showed a strong understanding of inductance, magnetic energy, and magnetic pressure; and for the most part they tended not to approach problems visually. Novices frequently described gist memories of demonstrations, text book problems, and rules (heuristics). However, these fragmentary mental models were not complete enough to allow them to reason productively. Experts-in-training were able to solve problems that the novices were not able to solve, many times simply because they had greater recall of the material, and therefore more confidence in their facts. Much of their thinking was concrete, based on mentally manipulating objects. Three, however, exhibited traits of experts, albeit not consistently. The experts solved most of the problems in ways that were both effective and efficient. Part of the efficiency derived from their ability to visualize and thus reason in terms of field lines. / text

In science education the nature and value of science laboratory activities have become the subject of critical debate. Some science educators argue that a better understanding of what students do while purposefully engaged with materials would provide some answers. The intent of this study is to explore elementary students' actions and the knowledge they use while designing and conducting experiments. Four dyads each from grades 4 and 7 participated in three events. First, each pair was presented with a question (Which magnet is strongest?), two sets of magnets (one set at a time) and materials. The researcher observed and videotaped dyads' actions with materials until they made a conclusion for both magnet sets. Second, the researcher presented dyads with a selective set of materials to further explore their conceptions of magnetism. Finally, the pairs of students were interviewed while they watched the video of themselves experimenting during the first two events. The data were analyzed using an action theory perspective which emphasizes the cognitive nature of action. Students' models of magnetism were constructed from the data. Students used more than one model to explain different effects they observed. The designs of student experiments were grounded in their operational knowledge of the materials. Dyads generated data from a series of experiments whereby they manipulated different materials in a variety of ways. Dyads who obtained variable data did not repeat experiments to confirm or disconfirm results; rather they used specific strategies to make conclusions. The designs and procedures of experiments of students from both grades were similar, likely due to their common knowledge of the materials and their limited experience with open-ended tasks. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

Children have prior knowledge, or mini-theories about science topics presented at school before being formally taught that is constructed from their everyday experiences. Teachers generally do not take this knowledge into consideration in the planning of science units and are often confused about why their students fail to learn. Hewson (1983) suggests that students will experience conceptual change only if it is intelligible, plausible, and fruitful and that prior knowledge, which is often an alternate conception of a scientific idea, must be challenged or clarified. Schon (1984) claims that teachers need to reflect on their actions in order to understand their own as well as their students' "constructed worlds". He suggests that teachers, when they reflect, become their own researchers. This case study examines how I, a teacher/researcher, adopted a constructlvlst perspective towards teaching a unit in magnetism and how the students responded. Vignettes of selected Incidents tell the story of the difficulties that my students had learning some of the concepts of magnetism and how I reacted to the knowledge that they were having difficulty. The unit in magnetism was taught to my class of thirty-two students (10/11 year olds) at an elementary school in a community in British Columbia using a constructivlst teaching sequence developed by Driver (1986).The lessons in magnetism were video-taped and both the students and I kept a journal. To elicit students' ideas about magnetism a diagnostic test was given at the beginning of the unit. A continuing record of students' ideas was kept throughout the study and at the end a post diagnostic test was given to see which, if any, alternate conceptions persisted. It was found that teaching with a constructivist approach had its' difficulties. Reflecting, for myself and my students, took practice and taking students' ideas Into consideration, both in the planning and teaching stages, may have taken more time than many teachers have available. However, the knowledge that I gained about my students' beliefs, through the process of reflecting, was valuable in planning lessons that both challenged and clarified the students' alternate conceptions. Teachers are recommended to take their students' ideas into consideration in lesson planning and to use activities that will encourage conceptual change. However, teachers should consider the time factor and the difficulties in reflecting before using a constructivist approach in teaching science. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

This study investigated the interactive use of computer simulations (CS) and videos on magnetism in Grade 10 at four high schools in the Mpumalanga province. Magnetism is one of the sections of the Physical Sciences CAPS curriculum. Four MST high schools in the Badplaas/Mashishila circuits of the Gert Sibande district in Mpumalanga were used as a case study. Three schools were used as experimental groups while the fourth school was used as control group. The first group was taught using computer simulations. The second group was taught using videos. The third group was taught using both computer simulations and videos, and the fourth group was taught using normal traditional methods. Using the pre-post test non-equivalent control group design, it was found that learners in all the experimental groups, who were taught using either computer simulations or videos or both, achieved significantly higher scores after being subjected to the post-test than learners in the control group, who were taught only by the normal traditional method. Furthermore, learners who were taught using a combination of CS and videos achieved significantly higher scores than learners who were exposed to only CS or only videos. Class observations conducted during the study reported that the use of information communication technology (ICT) tools with learners in the experimental groups proved to be informative, motivational and inspirational. This was evidenced by active learner participation, the learners being able to make predictions after observations and provide scientific explanations of concepts through discussions. The use of ICT tools in the form of CS and videos proved to be an effective instrument which can enhance learning. / Physics / M. Sc. (Physics Education)

A combination of theoretical perspectives is used to create a rich description of student reasoning when facing a highly-geometric electricity and magnetism problem in an upper-division active-engagement physics classroom at Oregon State University. Geometric reasoning as students encounter problem situations ranging from familiar to novel is described using van Zee and Manogue's (2010) ethnography of communication. Bing's (2008) epistemic framing model is used to illuminate how students are framing what they are doing and whether or not they see the problem as geometric. Kuo, Hull, Gupta, and Elby's (2010) blending model and Krutetskii's (1976) model of harmonic reasoning are used to illuminate ways students show problem-solving expertise. Sayer and Wittmann's (2008) model is used to show how resource plasticity impacts students' geometric reasoning and the degree to which students accept incorrect results. / Graduation date: 2013