Physics: Frightful, but fun.

3 November 2004Working seminar

CSSME, University of Leeds

Carl Angell

Physics: Frightful, but fun. Pupils' and teachers' views of physics and physics teaching

Carl Angell3 November 2004

The aims of the project• explore the factors that influence young people's choice to study (or not to study) physics in upper secondary school and university

• explore how pupils, teachers and university students perceive physics as a subject

• explore how pupils, teachers and university students experience physics instruction

Method

Questionnaires to the following respondent groups:

• Grade 12 physics pupils 1 141 responses

• Grade 13 physics pupils 1 051 responses

• Physics teachers 342 responses

• 1st year physics students 196 responses

• 4th year students 49 responses

A9. We ask you to give your opinions of the grade 12 physics courseby checking the appropriate boxes in the table below.

I find the grade 12 physicscourse

very easy quite easy OK quitedifficult

verydifficult

I find the content of thephysics course

very un-interesting

quite un-interesting

OK quiteinteresting

veryinteresting

I find the quality ofphysics instruction very poor Quite poor OK quite good very good

Example: Closed question

A11. What I see as most characteristic of physics is:

A12. What I like best about physics is:

Example: Open questions

Focus group interviews

• 8 focus group sessions with 54 pupils• Groups were segmented according to

gender• 4 groups were held with grade 12

pupils and 4 with grade 13 pupils

– (Also focus group interviews with teachers)

Percentage

100806040200

Physics

English

Social science

The subject is (very) difficult

The subject is (very) interesting

Instruction is (very) good

The amount of work is (very) big

The speed of instructionis (very) high

Physics: Hard, but interesting

In physics understanding is essential. That might be problematic, but has also positive aspects:

Boy, gr. 13:I hate just accepting too much, such as in maths (...) pure rote learning, as I said. (...) But in physics it is OK, right? Most of it is understanding.

Girls have higher expectations regarding their understanding than the boys:

Girl, gr. 13: I think maybe boys have an advantage (. . .) girls have to understand things, right? Because girls get hooked on it, whereas boys can kind of accept it more, and then they get on since they just let it lie

Doing calculations from basic laws

Understanding everyday phenomena

Learning to use measurement equipment

Understanding everyday technology

Experiencing exciting experiments

Getting to know history of science

Forming opinions

Understanding the world

What is (very) important in school physics?

0 20 40 60 80 100

Percentage answering "(very) important"

teachersstudents

The social element of physics knowledge appeared especially important for the girls:

• Girl: ..it is quite fun, that theory of relativity. I got quite fascinated.

• Girl: I have explained relativity theory to several people, but then they all gave me stupid looks when I ...

• Girl: (laughing) Yeah, right!

0 20 40 60 80 100

Seeing connections to everyday world

Doing experiments

Extensive curriculum

Fast progression

Using maths to describe phys phenom

Using maths in solving problems

Using laws in solving problems

Many new concepts

Percentage answering "(very) problematic"

Pupils gr 12 + 13

Teachers

What is problematic in physics?

Mathematics in Physics – A Problem?

• “simple and uncomplicated calculations”,

• “everyone knows enough maths to do calculations in physics”.

• “If there are (..) teachers who complain that we do not know the maths, then at least they should show us”

• “When we have (...) two or three formulas that have a connection between them, and then we had to do some calculations on them and do some changes and such. We are not so good at that”

Mathematics in Physics – A Problem?

• It seems that it is the "translation" from a physical situation to a mathematical expression that causes trouble.

0 20 40 60 80 100

Difficult, demanding

Interesting

Explains the world

Experiments

Formulas, laws, calculations, maths

Percentage mentioning characteristic

Pupils gr 12 + 13

Teachers

What I see as most characteristic of physics as a subject is:

Models

• Boy: I lost some interest in grade 12 when it was emphasised that this is only a model and reality isn't like that.

• Girl: [Physics is] reality in another way, you might say

• Girl: You don't discuss reality as it is, but in a way what lies behind

Perception of physics instructionlectures, new topics

lectures, prob solv

math

qualitative

students proposals

demonstrations

cookbook experiments

free choice experim

classdisc of concept

groupdisc of concept

prob solving alone

prob solv in groups

free choice projectssupplement litterat

5.04.03.02.01.0

teacher

student - how it is

student - wishes

1 - never

2 - seldom

3 - sometimes

4 - often

5 - very often

Std. error < 0.06

The Teacher

• In one of the focus groups, pupils from two separate classes with different teachers discussed the instruction. It appeared that the two teachers used very different methods, but both groups of pupils were satisfied with their own teacher and maintained that he gave the best instruction. This reinforces the impression that pupils adapt strongly to the teaching they actually do receive.

”Closed system”

• The picture that emerges of Norwegian physics pupils and their teachers is that they represent a "closed system" where both parties seem to get the subject they want. Pupils appear quite conservative, they are satisfied with the subject and the instruction and have few wishes for change. The teachers on their side get interested and motivated pupils who are very much like themselves.

What do you see as most characteristic of physics as a subject?

A lot of knowledge we probably never will use in our daily life

Always something to neglect in order that the formula should remain valid

Difficult topics, explained in a even more difficult way, with a lot of confusing formulas

Learn about things that are obvious, that the sky is blue and that bodies fall to the ground

Little philosophy. We never discuss whether people perceive things as they really are

Explanations of things that I didn't think needed any explanation, - but turned out to be interesting.

The road ahead• Make the subject less demanding and work-

intensive? • Emphasise science knowledge in context?• By appearing more "person-oriented" to

attract girls?• Use more qualitative/conceptual discussions

and demonstrations?• Make the role of experiments more clear?• Integrate mathematics in the physics

course?• Provide more variation in teaching methods?

But:•How would such changes be received

by the teachers and pupils who are presently pursuing school physics?

•Will changes in physics curricula and instruction styles be enough to change the current trend for young people to turn away from the subject?