Physics Commons^™

Strategy Flexibility: Choosing Different Systems To Apply The Work Energy Principle, Grace Baker, Thanh Le

Scholars Week

An important goal of physics instruction is to help students become adaptive problem solvers so that they can approach a wide range of situations. One aspect of adaptive problem solving is strategy flexibility — knowing multiple ways to approach a problem and choosing the most appropriate approach. In this study, we examine the role of meta strategic judgements in students’ application of strategy flexibility. Specifically, we study students’ meta-strategic judgements when choosing a system with which to apply the work-energy principle to various scenarios. College students enrolled in an introductory mechanics course were interviewed about their rationales for their system …