The study gathered and analyzed data about the impact of interactive television on student achievement and attitude in high school physics classes. Students enrolled in a distance learning program using interactive television to teach physics were the study population. Data were obtained from eighty-five students at six remote sites and the originating site. Z-tests of the mean scores obtained by the study population on each section of the American Association of Physics Teachers/National Science Teachers Association (AAPT/NSTA) Introductory Physics Examination Version 1988R indicated the study population achieved at a level significantly lower than the test norming population in all four areas analyzed. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA Model) was completed on achievement data arranged by group according to type of classroom monitoring. Group 1 had certified teachers acting as on-site facilitators; Group 2 had no on-site facilitators. There was no significant difference (p > .05) in achievement between the two groups. A survey was administered to determine the attitudes of students toward interactive television as the method of instruction and to assess student attitude toward the course content. Frequency and percentage distributions of responses to each question on the student survey were descriptive of student attitude. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA Model) failed to demonstrate any significant difference at the .05 level in attitudes between the group in classrooms monitored by certified teachers and the group in classrooms which were self-monitored. Students enrolled in the interactive television physics course held slightly more positive than negative attitudes toward interactive television as the method of instruction. Student attitude toward interactive television was less positive after taking the course than prior to taking the course. Students in interactive television classes generally held positive attitudes toward the content of physics. / Department of Educational Leadership

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The style and format of Physics examination papers has changed markedly over the past hundred years. Physics was regarded formerly as a sub-division of Mathematics; hence, apart from giving formal statements of scientific laws, and some account of experimental procedures, examination candidates were required to spend most of their time, and to earn most of their marks by solving numerical problems. Most Physics examination papers today retain the emphasis on problem-solving by calculation. It has been recognised, however, that the ability to obtain correct numerical answers by substition in a formula does not necessarily imply understanding of the physical principles which underly the problem. There has been a reaction against the awarding of marks for algebraic or arithmetical manipulation. Bloom and his disciples, by calling on examiners to define precise behavioural objectives, have encouraged the development of qualitative questions. These require no calculation nor numerical answer, but do aim to test the candidate's insight, by requiring him either to explain phenomena in scientific terms, or to predict the outcome of changing conditions. In this investigation samples of both quantitative and qualitative questions were extracted from Physics papers past and present. A closer study was made of qualitative questions used in the Natal Senior Certificate Physics papers (both Higher Grade and Standard Grade) in November 1987. The examiners were asked to state the objective of each question, as well as its categorization in terms of a simplified Bloom taxonomy. Candidates' answers to these questions were extracted from the scripts written at a representative sample of Natal schools. In the case of multiple-choice questions, an item analysis was performed, and discrimination indices were calculated . The responses of individual candidates to the longer questions were collected, classified and discussed. In each case the effectiveness of the question was studied, as to whether or not it was successful in detecting the presence of correct scientific concepts in the candidates' thinking. It was concluded that most of the qualitative questions used by the examiners were effective. Suggestions were made as to how their efficacy could be improved. Much further study and experimentation are needed to develop the effective use of this type of question

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

The problem of this study was to determine the effectiveness of using filmed courses in physics and chemistry in addition to the traditional lecture-laboratory courses in high school.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Science, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Science Education, University of the Witwatersrand. November 5, 2016. / A debate in South Africa on learner performance in Physical Science inevitably leads to the issue of proficiency in the language of learning and teaching (LoLT). The researcher is of the opinion that general understanding of the meaning of proficiency in LoLT usually refers to the ability to read and write well in that language which happens to be English in the majority of South African high schools. As low as 7% of the South African school going population regard themselves as English speaking (Department of Basic Education, 2010). The status of English as lingua franca has caused parents and teachers to believe that it is in the interest of learners to be taught in English (Wildsmith-Cromarty & Gordon, 2009). This view resulted that the debate on proficiency includes amongst others, opinions of those who propagate home language teaching and those who call for English as the preferred medium of instruction. This research contributes to the debate on proficiency by pointing to the important contribution that the science teacher can make to enculturate learners into the language of school science. The fact that both English First Additional Language learners (EFALs) as well as English Home Language learners (EHLs) struggle to understand Physical Science (Probyn, 2015) is indicative of the important role that the science teacher can play in assisting learners to understand Physical Science. In lieu of this, teachers are encouraged to focus on vocabulary building as well as the manner in which LoLT is employed to construe science knowledge. This is a functional view of language, namely, that language is used to convey a particular meaning hence the language differs across registers. Michael Halliday (1993) is credited for the development of a systemic functional linguistic view on language. This study analysed two teachers’ classroom languages from a Systemic Functional Linguistic (SFL) perspective with specific emphasis on the register variables field and mode. Results show that LoLT was perceived as transparent when learners are EHLs and considered a barrier to learning Physical Science if learners are EFALs. In both cases, teachers seemed unable to enculturate learners into the language of school science when used to convey science meaning. An absence of that focus is what Bernstein called an “invisible pedagogy / TG2017

This dissertation is a case study of a school district in the Pacific Northwest that developed three-year high school science curricula using a Physics First course sequence (Physics, Chemistry, Biology), with the crosscutting concept Patterns as the central theme of the courses. The purpose of the study was to examine the impact of the implementation of the 9th grade course, Patterns Physics, on teacher practice and beliefs about science teaching and determine whether this new approach facilitated teacher classroom practices and beliefs congruent with those expressed in A Framework for K-12 Science Education (NRC, 2012) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States, 2013). Results from this study indicate that the implementation of Patterns Physics positively impacted teacher confidence in teaching the NGSS science and engineering practices. Professional development that provided teachers multiple opportunities to engage with the curriculum--in the role of a student, in professional discussions with colleagues, and over several years were critical to support a change in practice consistent with three-dimensional (3D) teaching called for by the Framework and NGSS. Teacher participants viewed the Patterns PCB (Physics, Chemistry, and Biology) sequence as an appropriate course sequence, with strong agreement that a 9th grade physics course needs to be tailored to the needs of students, such as added support for students with minimal mathematics skills. The NGSS, with an emphasis on 3D learning (science content knowledge, crosscutting concepts, and science and engineering practices), had a significant positive impact on instructional practice.

Thesis (MSc. (Physics)) --University of Limpopo, 2015 / This study investigated the extent to which learners from rural and peri-urban areas understand what the symbols represent and their roles in simple direct current resistive electrical circuits. The emphasis was on simple direct current resistive electrical circuits that consist of batteries and bulbs. The study was carried out with Grade 12 learners at high school level in the Limpopo Provincial Department of Education. It used both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods to investigate learners’ understanding of direct current resistive electrical circuits at rural and peri-urban schools. It used questionnaires and structured interviews to collect the data so that the results could provide in-depth understanding and generalizability. The results revealed that learners knew the symbols used in direct current resistive circuits, however, when the circuit was populated with a number of known symbols it became complex to such an extent that some learners struggled to identify the symbols. As it appeared, learners could not conceptualize the role played by a battery, conductor, ammeter and voltmeter in direct current resistive electrical circuit. In addition, the study also revealed that learners experience difficulties when translating a real circuit to a schematic circuit. This study suggests that deeper focus has to be directed towards developing leaners’ understanding of the working and role played by each symbol in a schematic circuit. Learners were operating at far lower conceptual basis and thought of conductor as a hollow pipe like material. Results were also compared in terms of geographical location of the school, and findings indicate that the rural school was performing better than peri-urban school. The results highlight a number of the frequently encountered alternative frameworks which learners come across when they are faced with schematic circuit diagrams. Most of the alternative frameworks found are well documented in literature (for example current consumption, difficulty with understanding electric concepts, difficulty with concept differentiation, and no firm alternative frameworks). vi The participants in this study were not exposed to practical work. This suggests the results might be different with learners exposed to practical work. It is therefore recommended that future studies look at the understanding of the role played by individual electrical components with learners who had practical experience with real electrical circuits. Majority of learners in this study could not communicate their scientific conclusions using English, as the English is their second language.

This study used a skill theory framework (Fischer & Bidell, 2006) and a microdevelopmental lens to characterize how six grade 8 students' conceptual understanding of conservation of matter changed in the context of a short discussion-based instructional unit. On average, students' conceptual understanding increased significantly, suggesting that a discussion-based approach might be effective in supporting students' learning. The general characteristics of focus students' microdevelopmental pathways were in accordance with those found in other microdevelopmental studies (e.g., Yan & Fischer, 2002), but changes in complexity of misconceptions might be intricately linked to how students learned conservation of matter. The analysis of conversational dimensions suggested that doubting, among other factors, might play an important role in students' learning. This study argues for an integrated microdevelopmental approach that includes conversational dimensions and characterizes changes in the complexity of misconceptions.