Author(s):
Physics education research has a rich history of topic-specific research about student thinking. Over the last three decades, researchers have identified common student ideas about nearly every topic in introductory physics. This research has been used to inform instructional materials development and supplement instructors’ knowledge of their students’ ideas, supporting teachers to better tailor their teaching to students’ specific needs. Most of this research foregrounds common students’ ideas about physics that are in need of correcting. Our project foregrounds students’ conceptual resources—ideas that we see as continuous with formal physics, “seeds of science” that could represent the beginnings of a more sophisticated understanding. We have analyzed thousands of written responses to identify common conceptual resources for various physics topics, including kinematics, momentum, circuits, and heat and temperature. In this poster, we share some of these conceptual resources. Our findings support instructors in preparing for and noticing their students’ diverse conceptual resources and inform the development of instructional materials that aim to leverage and build on these resources.
Coauthors
Amy D. Robertson, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA; Lisa M. Goodhew, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA; Paula R.L. Heron, University of Washington, Seattle, WA; Rachel E. Scherr, University of Washington, Bothell, WA; Brynna Hansen, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA; Anne T. Alesandrini, University of Washington, Seattle, WA; Tra Huynh, University of Washington, Bothell, WA; Olin Sorby, University of Washington, Seattle, WA; Yohannes M. Abraham, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA; Jonathan Corcoran, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA; Mikayla Valentin, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA
