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Physics Teaching and the Development of Reasoning: Workshop Materials

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1975

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Full-Text Articles in Education

Introduction To Workshop On Physics Teaching And The Development Of Reasoning, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner Jan 1975

Introduction To Workshop On Physics Teaching And The Development Of Reasoning, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner

Physics Teaching and the Development of Reasoning: Workshop Materials

Are physics teachers in high schools, colleges, and universities knowledgeable concerning the reasoning patterns their students use? The personal experiences of many instructors and research carried out during the last few years indicate that a substantial fraction of physics students have difficulty applying functional relationships among variables, considering all necessary combinations of experimental and theoretical conditions of a problem, and examining their own reasoning critically to locate possible errors. The theory of intellectual development formulated by the Swiss psychologist and epistemologist Jean Piaget deals with these matters and can therefore be of help to physics teachers. We have prepared these …


Module 2: Concrete And Formal Thought, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner Jan 1975

Module 2: Concrete And Formal Thought, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner

Physics Teaching and the Development of Reasoning: Workshop Materials

Observations of many children and young people attempting to perform problem-solving tasks have led Jean Piaget and other psychologists to formulate theories concerning the mental processes an individual uses to deal with problem situations. In this module, we shall introduce you briefly to stages of reasoning, a feature of Piaget 's theory we consider important for physics teachers.


Module 3: Proportional Reasoning, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner Jan 1975

Module 3: Proportional Reasoning, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner

Physics Teaching and the Development of Reasoning: Workshop Materials

In Piaget' s theory, concrete operational thought is characterized by serial ordering , simple classification, and conservation logic applied directly to objects. A concrete thinker doing a Piagetian task must be able to observe objects and/or manipulate them. Formal operational thought involves proportional reasoning , separation of variables, elimination of contradictions, and class inclusion or exclusion operations. A formal thinker is able to work in situations where he does nor deal with tangible objects. The formal thinker can apply the operations used by a concrete thinker, but goes beyond these operations when solving problems.


Module 5: Analysis Of Physics Problems And Test Questions, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner Jan 1975

Module 5: Analysis Of Physics Problems And Test Questions, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner

Physics Teaching and the Development of Reasoning: Workshop Materials

You may be wondering how to apply the concept of developmental stages in your physics teaching, To help you with this, we have prepared modules 5-11 dealing with differing aspects of instruction. Module 5 concentrates on the analysis and writing of physics problems and test questions. As you read the examples we have selected, keep in mind the characterisrtics of concrete and formal thought described in Module 2. A matter that we find difficult to resolve concerns how to give all students, regardless of the reasoning patterns they use initially, practice in problem solving. Furthermore, evaluation through tests should give …


Module 6: Analysis Of Learning Materials, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner Jan 1975

Module 6: Analysis Of Learning Materials, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner

Physics Teaching and the Development of Reasoning: Workshop Materials

Module 6 continues with the application of the concept of developmental stages in your physics teaching. The module concentrates on the analysis of physics texts and film loops, which provide important instructional inputs for students. As you read the excerpts we have selected for your review, keep in mind the characteristics of concrete and formal thought explained in Module 2. Also, remember that all students, regardless of their developmental stage, will find the text easier and will understand a new topic in a more broadly-based way if they can progress gradually from a concrete view of the subject. Of course, …


Module 7: Self-Regulation, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner Jan 1975

Module 7: Self-Regulation, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner

Physics Teaching and the Development of Reasoning: Workshop Materials

How can students be made made aware of their own reasoning? This question identifies one aspect of formal thought. It must be answered if students are to proceed to formal thought by self-regulation, the process whereby an individual advances from one stage of reasoning to the next. We have alluded to self-regulation in several of the earlier modules, but concentrated on the characteristic reasoning patterns associated with each stage. In this module we shall describe self-regulation in detail.


Workshop On Physics Teaching And The Development Of Reasoning: Complete Set Of Modules, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner Jan 1975

Workshop On Physics Teaching And The Development Of Reasoning: Complete Set Of Modules, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner

Physics Teaching and the Development of Reasoning: Workshop Materials

The titles of the eleven workshop modules are as follows:

I. How Students Think
2. Concrete and Formal Thought
3. Proportional Reasoning of College Students
4. "Formal Thought"
5. Analysis of Physics Problems
6. Analysis of Instructional Materials
7. Self-Regulation
8. Learning Activities for Self-Regulation
9. Analysis of Physics Concepts
10. Teaching Goals and Strategies
11. Suggested Reading

The work is 135 pages; the pdf file is 19 Mbytes.


Module 10: Teaching Goals And Strategies, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner Jan 1975

Module 10: Teaching Goals And Strategies, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner

Physics Teaching and the Development of Reasoning: Workshop Materials

Most physics classes include students who use concrete reasoning patterns on some occasions and formal reasoning patterns on others. Most likely their approach to a new kind of problem will Include a mixture of techniques derived from their previous learning, their awareness of their own reasoning, and their ability to engage in self-regulation. Obstacles to their success may stem from misconceptions they formed as a result of poorly assimilated prior learning experiences. So what? What does that tell me about the goals and strategies I might choose for my teaching? In this module we shall pursue the implications of the …


Module 11: Suggested Reading, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner Jan 1975

Module 11: Suggested Reading, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner

Physics Teaching and the Development of Reasoning: Workshop Materials

This module contains reprints of several articles related to the ideas of stages of development and self-regulation and a bibliography of books and articles that you may wish to study after you complete the workshop.

This module contains the following materials:

1. Reading list of suggested books and articles.

2. Are Colleges Concerned with Intellectual Development?
Joe W. McKinnon, Oklahoma City University
John W. Renner, University of Oklahoma
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS 39: 1047 (September 1971)


3. Piagetian Theory and Instruction in Physics
John W. Renner and Anton E. Lawson
THE PHYSICS TEACHER, 11: 165 (March 1973)

4. Promoting Intellectual …


Module 8: Learning Activities For Self-Regulation, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner Jan 1975

Module 8: Learning Activities For Self-Regulation, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner

Physics Teaching and the Development of Reasoning: Workshop Materials

It is quite clear from the earlier modules in this workshop that a teacher's awareness of students' patterns of reasoning will influence his choice of subject matter, level of presentation, selection of text, and assignment of homework problems. We shall now describe some ways in which the learning activities can be planned so as to enhance the opportunities for self-regulation after a student is introduced to a new idea. On the basis of Piaget’s developmental theory, concrete learning activities play a central role in the improvement of a student's reasoning. The physics laboratory, therefore, is an especially important part of …


Module 9: Analysis Of Physics Concepts, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner Jan 1975

Module 9: Analysis Of Physics Concepts, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner

Physics Teaching and the Development of Reasoning: Workshop Materials

Most physics teachers think about their courses in terms of topics covered, concepts explained, and principles applied. Our effort in this workshop has been to call your attention to another impartant dimension of physics teaching: your students' patterns of reasoning. By this time, you have probably concluded that most physics courses are addressed primarily to students who can use formal reasoning patterns with ease, and we would agree with that. Yet there are also the students who use formal reasoning patterns only with difficulty and in limited areas. To help you analyze course content and present it in a way …


Module 1: How Students Think, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner Jan 1975

Module 1: How Students Think, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner

Physics Teaching and the Development of Reasoning: Workshop Materials

You have probably been curious at various times in your teaching career about the thinking strategies that students enrolled in physics appear to use to solve problems. It is difficult for most of us to understand that many students do not use reasoning patterns that seem to be obvious. Many students substitute numbers into a formula they remember, even though the formula may not be applicable to the problem at hand. This situation quite naturally leads us to wonder about the reasoning that students utilize when we would employ mental operations such as separating variables, excluding an irrelevant factor, or …


Module 4: Formal Thought, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner Jan 1975

Module 4: Formal Thought, Francis P. Collea, Robert Fuller, Robert Karplus, Lester G. Paldy, John W. Renner

Physics Teaching and the Development of Reasoning: Workshop Materials

In Piaget’s theory, concrete thought is characterized by serial ordering, simple classification, conservation logic and other operations applied to objects that a person is able to observe or manipulate directly. Formal thought includes these operations but goes beyond them to utilize other processes in situations where one does not deal with tangible objects. Formal processes often involve proportional reasoning, separation of variables, elimination of contradictions, and class inclusion or exclusion operations.