Quantitative and qualitative analysis of the mental models deployed by undergraduate students in explaining thermally activated phenomena

In this contribution we describe a research aimed at pointing out the quality of mental models undergraduate engineering students deploy when asked to create explanations for phenomena/processes and/or use a given model in the same context. Student responses to a specially designed written questionnaire are initially analyzed using researchergenerated categories of reasoning, based on the Physics Education Research literature on student understanding of the relevant physics content. The inferred students’ mental models about the analyzed phenomena are categorized as practical, descriptive, or explanatory, based on an analysis of student responses to the questionnaire. A qualitative analysis of interviews conducted with students after the questionnaire administration is also used to deepen some aspects which emerged from the quantitative analysis and validate the results obtaine

An approach to the concept of statistical distribution: a pedagogical path based on Guided Inquiry

This paper describes a teaching approach to the concept of distribution that uses a specific activity related to the field of statistical mechanics. The concept of velocity distribution of a particle system is dealt with using an Inquiry Based approach involving an experimental examination of Maxwell’s Distribution. Some outcomes of a teaching experiment are described

Investigating the quality of mental models deployed by undergraduate engineering students in creating explanations: The case of thermally activated phenomena

This paper describes a method aimed at pointing out the quality of the mental models undergraduate engineering students deploy when asked to create explanations for phenomena or processes and/or use a given model in the same context. Student responses to a specially designed written questionnaire are quantitatively analyzed using researcher-generated categories of reasoning, based on the physics education research literature on student understanding of the relevant physics content. The use of statistical implicative analysis tools allows us to successfully identify clusters of students with respect to the similarity to the reasoning categories, defined as "practical or everyday," "descriptive," or "explicative." Through the use of similarity and implication indexes our method also enables us to study the consistency in students' deployment of mental models. A qualitative analysis of interviews conducted with students after they had completed the questionnaire is used to clarify some aspects which emerged from the quantitative analysis and validate the results obtained. Some implications of this joint use of quantitative and qualitative analysis for the design of a learning environment focused on the understanding of some aspects of the world at the level of causation and mechanisms of functioning are discussed

Exploring the Coherence of Student Reasoning when Responding to Questionnaires on Thermally Activated Phenomena

Many research results show that students often highlight \u201cmixed-type\u201d reasoning when tackling problematic situations and problems. This reasoning is based on the simultaneous use of common-sense and mere descriptions of facts, perceived as sufficient to build an \u201cexplanation\u201d of observed or proposed situations and problems. This fact can be interpreted as a lack of coherence. In this paper, we study the coherence of responses that a sample of undergraduate chemical engineering student give when they are asked to face real-life situations, to create explanations, and to use models in different contexts. We administered open-ended questionnaires before and after a twenty-hour Inquiry-Based workshop related to phenomena activated by a thermal overcoming of a potential barrier. Based on the Physics Education Research literature on student understanding of relevant physics contents, the student responses are analysed by using researcher-generated categories of reasoning and their coherence is studied. Finally, we discuss some implications of the results to improve the development of students' explicative skills. \ua9 2021 the authors; licensee Modestum. All Rights Reserved

An experience of elicited inquiry elucidating the electron transport in semiconductor crystals

In this study we report the results of an inquiry-driven learning path experienced by a sample of 10 electronic engineering students, engaged to investigate the electron transport in semiconductors. The undergraduates were first instructed by following a lecture-based class on condensed matter physics and then involved into an inquiry based path of simulative explorations. The students were invited by two instructors to explore the electron dynamics in a semiconductor bulk by means of Monte Carlo simulations. The students, working in group, had to design their own procedure of exploration, as expected in a traditional guided inquiry. But they experienced several difficulties on planning and carrying out a meaningful sequence of simulative experiments, many times coming to a standstill. At this stage, the two instructors actively participated to the students’ debate on the physics governing the observed phenomena, never providing exhaustive explanations to the students, but giving comments and hints, sometimes expressly incorrect, but effective to stimulate students’ reasoning and activating a proficient scientific inquiry. The relation between this teaching intervention and student cognitive and affective development has been investigated by methods of discourse and behaviour analysis, as well as by the analysis of a student motivation/satisfaction inventory. The elicited inquiry stimulated the students to follow a question-driven path of exploration, starting from the validation of the model of electron dynamics within the semiconductor, up to performing reasoned inquiries about the observed characteristic of charge transport. Our results show that the stimulated activation of the inquiry process constitutes an efficient teaching/learning approach both to effectively engage students into an active learning and, at the same time, to clarify important experimental and technological aspects of semiconductor science, representing a viable example of integration of a traditional lecture-based teaching approach with effective learning strategies

An Inquiry-Based Approach to a Pedagogical Laboratory for Primary School Teacher Education

In questo articolo vengono presentati e di- scussi alcuni risultati relativi alla sperimen- tazione di due esperienze di didattica laboratoriale della fisica, una basata su me- todi di indagine scientifica e l’altra su meto- dologie didattiche più “tradizionali”, svolte durante l’A.A. 2014-15 con studenti del CdL in Scienze della Formazione Primaria del- l’Università di Palermo. I dati, analizzati tra- mite metodi quantitativi, sono stati ricavati dalla somministrazione prima, durante e do- po le attività laboratoriali, di un questionario finalizzato a comprendere gli stili di insegna- mento preferiti dagli studenti, la motivazio- ne di questi all’apprendimento/insegna- mento delle scienze e le loro idee sulle dif- ficoltà che un insegnante di scuola prima- ria/dell’infanzia incontra nel progettare e sperimentare in classe attività didattiche di tipo scientifico. Dopo una breve descrizione dei metodi di analisi utilizzati, i risultati della sperimentazione vengono discussi e commentati.In this paper we discuss some results of the trial of two pedagogical physics workshops, held during the academic year 2014-15 with students of the Undergraduate Program for Elementary/ Kindergarten Teacher Education at the University of Palermo. One of the workshops was Inquiry Based, while the other was performed by using “traditional” teaching methods. The data, analyzed by using quantitative methods, were obtained by the administration before, during and after the workshop activities of a questionnaire aimed at understanding what are the teaching styles preferred by students, the student motivation in learning and teaching science, and their ideas about the difficulties a teacher meets when designing and trialing with real pupils science-based pedagogical activities. After a short description of the analysis methods we used in our study, the results of the trial are discussed and commented

Lecturas críticas y una propuesta para la enseñanza de Literatura

La enseñanza de la literatura en el nuestro sistema educativo ha sido practicada con diversos objetivos y con métodos variados. La necesidad de que la literatura ocupe un espacio significativo y equilibrado en los organigramas horarios de los planes de estudio nos exige que reflexionemos sobre su abordaje y, en consecuencia, ofrezcamos ciertas vías de acceso a la rigurosidad de su estudio.The teaching of literature in our school system has been practiced with diverse objectives and with various methods. A significant and well balanced space in the organization of the curricula requires us a reflection on his approach and, consequently, we present certain access ways to the rigorousness of his study.Fil: Delmaschio, Claudio R. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Humanidads y Artes. Rosario ArgentinaFil: Battaglia, María Gabriela. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Humanidads y Artes. Rosario Argentin

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BOLTZMANN FACTOR BY USING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TOOLS

Abstract We present an experiment and simulations aimed at introducing the Boltzmann factor mathematical expression and at illustrating the fundamental concepts on which it is grounded. The experiment uses an easily available Microcomputer Based Laboratory apparatus. Simulations are developed in the Net-Logo environment that, besides having a friendly user-interface, allows an easy interaction with the algorithm. The approach supplies a pedagogical support for the introduction of the Boltzmann factor at undergraduate level to students without a background in statistical mechanics