model of improving students ’ conceptual knowledge of magnetism using active learning

Physics Education Network of Thailand

Institute for Innovation and Development of Learning Process M

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Model of improving students’ conceptual

knowledge of magnetism using active learningBy

Pattawan Narjaikaew

Ph.D. Candidate student of Science and Technology Education program (Physics) Institute for Innovation and Development of Learning Process, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand September 25, 2008



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The Organization of the Study• Background of the Study

• A Review of the Literature • Research Methodology • Students’ Understanding and

Perceptions of Electricity and Magnetism

• The Principles for the Design of the Electromagnetism Learning Unit

• The Electromagnetism Learning Unit • Implementation and Evaluation of the

Electromagnetism Learning Unit (EMLU) • Conclusion

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1. Background of the Study

Teaching science in university level

Lecturing is dominated.

3

Large class is normal.




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1. Background of the Study 4

Context of the Study

This study studies about student understanding in magnetism topics using various learning and teaching activities.



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Purposes of the Study


To investigate students’ conceptual knowledge and misconceptions about magnetism.To explore students’ perceptions of the useful teaching and learning strategies that help them learn in a class.

To create an instructional unit for lecturers to develop student learning processes in magnetism through active learning.



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The Research Questions

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3. How useful are the various teaching approaches implemented for the first-year university magnetism course?

1. What are the common alternative conceptions about magnetism of first-year university physics students?

2. What teaching and learning approaches do first-year students perceive as helpful to their learning and understanding physics ideas in magnetism?



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2. A Review of the Literature

72. A Review of the Literature

Student conceptions about magnetism.

Teaching approaches examined to help students become actively participate in

teaching/learning activities & to improve students’ understanding.



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2. A Review of the Literature 8

EX: Student Conceptions about magnetic force

The force exerted on each other between the two current-carrying wires/ students think that the larger current wire exerts the larger force.

Force exerted on two current-carrying wires (Maloney et al., 2001)



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EX: Student Conceptions about magnetic induction

Light bulb glowing (Maloney et al., 2001).

Many students seem to believe that the ‘‘movement’’ is necessary to induce a current. Students might not see that the collapsing loop can change the magnetic flux.



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Teaching approaches for active learning in lectures



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Teaching strategies for active learning in lectures

to increase students’ attention span + understandingencourage students become actively involve

Note-taking Stories of scienceDiscussionProblem-SolvingFormative AssessmentDemonstration/Visual aidsclarify

important

concept

see the real data and

grow interest

encourage

student

interest

develop student thinking

skill

clarify import

ant concep

t

assess student

understanding

rapidly2. A Review of the Literature



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123. Research Methodology

3. Research Methodology Literature ReviewIssue of the study Selection of topic to study

Preparation of instrument for investigate students’ conceptions

Analysis students conceptionsfocusing on

misconceptionsPreparation of learning unit to help students

learnImplementation of the learning unit

Data analysis and reporting of

research findings



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Samples

Universities

2005Pilot

samples

2007Implementation samples

A 262 226

B 340 661



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Lecture setting 2005

deductive approach

2007inductive approach

Describe/explain theory

Present equations

Students practice

Observe a set of experimental data

Observe demonstrations +recorded in activity sheet

Summarise general concept

Link to theory

Present equations

Students practice + worksheet



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Data collection methods Instruments Purposes

Conceptual survey (CSEM)Get students’ basic knowledge

in magnetismQuestionnaires

Explore how students prefer/

perceive of lecture course

InterviewsExplore students understanding & their perceptions

towards the implementation of

the teaching intervention



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164. Phase One Findings

4. Students’ Understanding of EM (Pilot findings)Students’ performances on CSEM from university A (2005)

electricitymagnetism

Perc

en

tag

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f stu

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corr

ect



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Students’ performances on CSEM from university B (2005)P

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corr

ect

electricity

magnetism




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Student Perceptions of Electromagnetism:

Learning and Teaching

Work sheet

Demonstration/video

Students’ responses on close-ended questions (2006)

Main Ideas•………•………•………

Summarising main ideas



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Student responses to things lecturers do that they

determined helpful; responses to the open-ended questions

Conducting Demonstration

Working through problems

Summarising concepts



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Student responses to things they do that they viewed

helpful; responses to the open-ended questions.

Working through problems

Taking notes

Doing laboratory



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215. Phase Two: Designing the EMUL

5. The Principles for the Design of the EM Learning

Unit (EMLU)In this study, there are two main learning perspectives consideration in learning theories.

•Constructivism

•Social-constructivism.



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Learning Theories

Constructivism


Learner constructs their own individual understanding to make sense out of the world.



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Social constructivism

Learning Theories

Students get new knowledge by sharing with peer and link this

new ideas with personal experience and

reorganize their own view and negotiate or

reflect on other student’s view.




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Link new concept with previous concept

6. Designing Teaching Approaches for Active Learning in the EMLU

6. The Electromagnetism Learning Unit



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Telling Story


Designing Teaching Approaches for Active Learning in the EMLU



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Lecture Demonstrations




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Visualization (Video)




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Student Discussion





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Formative Assessment





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Note taking





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7. Implementation & Findings of the

Electromagnetism Learning Unit

The findings about the use of the EMLU as it was implemented in lectures at 2 universities for Thai first-year university students.

7. Implementing the EMLU



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327. Implementing the EMLU

Ex: Magnetic force: Lecture 1 PowerPoint slides



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337. Implementing of the EMLU

EX: Magnetic force (Lecture 1)

Summarising: Factors involved in behaviour of charges in magnetic field (B)

• electric charge = q• magnetic field = B• electric charge velocity = v• magnetic force = FB

BF qv B

Video demonstration



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Summarising: Factors involved in behaviour of i in magnetic field (B)


Activity sheet



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Practicing with quick quiz shown on a slide



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Work sheet



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Evaluation of the EMLU

Student’s responses on the CSEM test37

<g>

0.05 0.32 0.00 0.11

Perc

en

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corr

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Magnetic force

23 2421 21

27

48

21

30

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

A 2005 A 2007 B 2005 B 2007

Pre

Post

University AUniversity B



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Student’s responses on the CSEM test


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<g>

0.13 0.27 0.06 0.22

Magnetic Field

31 33

19 17

40

51

24

35

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

A 2005 A 2007 B 2005 B 2007

Pre

Post

Perc

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corr

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yUniversity AUniversity B




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Student’s responses on the CSEM

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<g>

-0.03

0.20 -0.03 0.05

Faraday's Law

24 2523

15

22

40

2119

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

A 2005 A 2007 B 2005 B 2007

Pre

Post

Perc

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University AUniversity B



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Evaluation of the EMLUComparing students’ cognitive

knowledge in the different academic years

40

University

Years

Test

Mean

(11)

N SD

(Pair T-test) P

<%g>

A2005

Pre

3.33 238

1.94

0.00 0.05

Post

4.20 238

2.33

2007

Pre

3.06 210

1.85

0.00 0.26

Post

5.16 210

2.40

B2005

Pre

2.13 340

1.26

0.03 0.02

Post

2.33 340

1.42

2007

Pre

2.18 661

1.46

0.00 0.13

Post

3.05 661

1.67



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Students’ performances on post-instructional test

& interview

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Magnetic force: used the angle provided in

the picture instead of the angle between the magnetic field and the velocity of the charge. One interviewee said that she was familiar with putting number to calculate a magnitude of the variable instead of explaining what it means7. Implementing of the EMLU



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& interview

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Students’ performances on the straightforward question were fairy high.

Magnetic Field

Students seemed not familiar to use the vector product in the Biot-Savart law to find the direction of the magnetic field. 7. Implementing of the EMLU



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& interview

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Students were able to find the condition causing an

induced current in circuits of questions. Most of the

students at both universities answered the

question provided by demonstration correctly (>

90%).

Magnetic Induction




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Evaluation of the Electromagnetism

Learning UnitStudents’ responding to the close-ended questions

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University A University B

Providing worksheets

Conducting demonstrations

/video Providing activity sheets



Providing activity sheets



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Evaluation of the Electromagnetism

Learning UnitStudents’ responding to the open-ended question

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University A University B


Pacing and Explaining style


Pacing and Explaining style





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8. Conclusion

CONCLUSION

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Investigated student understanding of electromagnetism both pre- and post-traditional teaching.

Developed the Electromagnetism Learning unit (EMLU) to increase the effectiveness of lectures on magnetism.

The findings indicated that the students who attended in the EMLU class had increased their performances on the conceptual test.

The students’ perception towards the EMLU were positive.



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Classroom Environment

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Classroom Environment

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Acknowledgements

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Acknowledgements

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Acknowledgements

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Acknowledgements

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Special Thanks

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model of improving students ’ conceptual knowledge of magnetism using active learning

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