The introduction of the new Physical Science curriculum in South Africa in 2006 has created challenges for physical science teachers and curriculum developers, including tertiary science educators. The curriculum recommends that the Nature of Science (NOS) has to be taught in an integrated manner in physical science lessons. In addition approximately one-third of all questions in class tests and examinations should be on NOS. Studies that were conducted nationally and internationally have shown that most science teachers‟ have inadequate views of NOS. This study, in particular, looks at post- graduate physical science teachers‟ knowledge and classroom practice of the Nature of Science in KwaZulu-Natal. Data was collected using a NOS questionnaire by a group of 38 FET physical science and life science teachers who had completed an honours module in NOS. Part of this module included the history and philosophy of science in classroom lessons, indigenous knowledge, and science and culture. Four physical science volunteers were then selected for in-depth classroom observations and interviews. This formed the main data for the study with fieldwork carried out in teachers‟ classrooms. Results indicated that postgraduate science teachers have an adequate understanding of NOS, mainly as a result of having completed modules covering NOS objectives, history of science and philosophy of science. Furthermore, evidence confirms that these teachers made positive attempts to plan and teach for the achievement of the NOS objectives during physical science class lessons and used materials and references from their post-graduate programmes. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.

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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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Resumo: A presente tese é resultado do processo de releitura e reinterpretação dos dados constituídos em dois grandes projetos complementares. Organizada em três partes, objetiva identificar e analisar os saberes docentes mobilizados por licenciandos em física nos processos de planejamento e condução de atividades de ensino em classe que contemplou a presença de estudantes cegos e videntes. A primeira parte aborda as bases teóricas sobre inclusão, deficiência visual e saberes docentes, além dos objetivos investigativos e a metodologia da pesquisa. A parte II apresenta o primeiro conjunto de saberes docentes que emergiu das análises do processo de planejamento de atividades de ensino de física. A parte III Aborda o segundo conjunto de saberes docentes, resultante do processo de condução dessas atividades. Apoia-se em referenciais da comunicação, definindo contexto e linguagem em termos das estruturas empírica e semântico-sensorial. Os resultados indicam que o processo formativo a que os licenciandos foram submetidos contribuiu para mudanças em suas práticas de ensino. No decorrer dos momentos de condução e reflexão de atividades de ensino de física para estudantes com e sem deficiência visual, os licenciandos passaram a perceber elementos do método, material e do conteúdo de física comuns entre tais estudantes. Assim, os resultados aqui indicados apontam que os esforços formativos de licenciandos em física visando práticas inclusivas devem proporcionar ao futuro docente, condições para que ele supere a abordagem unidimensional da especificidade, sem deixar de reconhecê-la, num processo dialético de percepção de diversidade e generalidade entre os estudantes com e sem deficiência visual. Dito de outro modo, a formação docente deve buscar a construção de um professor capaz de trabalhar com a igualdade e a diferença que constituem os discentes com e sem deficiência visual em ambientes de ensino de física / Abstract: This thesis is the result of the re-reading and reinterpretation process of the data recorded in two great complementary projects. Organized into three parts, aims to identify and analyze the teaching knowledge mobilized by undergraduates in physics in the planning processes and conducting educational activities in class that included the presence of blind and sighted students. The first part discusses the theoretical basis for inclusion, visual impairment and teaching knowledge, in addition to the investigative objectives and the research methodology. Part II presents the first set of knowledge teachers that emerged from the analysis of the physics teaching activities planning process. Part III addresses the second set of teaching knowledge resulting from driving these activities process. Relies on communication theoretical, defining context and language in terms of empirical and semantic-sensorial structures. The results indicate that the formation process to which the licensees were subjected contributed to changes in their teaching practices. Over the driving times and reflection of physical education activities for students with and without visual disabilities, undergraduates come to realize elements of the method, material and common physical content of such students. Thus, the results shown here indicate that the training efforts of undergraduates in physics aimed at inclusive practices should provide the future teaching conditions so that it goes beyond the one-dimensional approach to specificity, while recognizing it in a dialectical process of perception of diversity and generality among students with and without visual impairment. In other words, the teacher training should seek to build a teacher able to work with equality and difference are the students with and without visual impairment in physical education environments

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

The purpose of this study is to determine the adequacy of high school physics laboratory work for general education. The problems involved to achieve this purpose were: the determination of the outcomes of high school physics laboratory work; the determination of the objectives of science instruction in general education; and the evaluation of the outcomes of the first in terms of the second.

This study has the following general objectives: first, to present in detail the techniques that the author has developed and used in designed the course and the final materials produced for am introductory physics course in Mechanics; second, to state and examine the important blended ingredients used to get a new strategy for teaching-learning in which and individualized pace together with a group interaction is used; third, to analyze a combination of structural and operational course where concept, structure formation, and problem solving are emphasized.

Media play a large part in most of our daily lives. We watch television; we go to the movies; we listen to the radio. For years educators have been adapting media-related technological advancements for the purpose of teaching in the classroom. Here at the Physics Department of the University of the Pacific, we have adapted the medium of synchronized slide-tapes for use in the laboratory component of our calculus-based introductory physics course.

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