Training teachers for new ways of understanding the teaching of physics from its mathematization

The use of mathematics in physics teaching often becomes an obstacle to learning. Within the framework of this problem, we set out to study the possibilities of training future teachers for new understandings of the relationship between physics and mathematics. Our main frame of reference is a research sequence developed in the Teaching and Learning of Physics research group in Castiblanco (2003), Vizcaíno (2013), Castiblanco and Nardi (2018), Vizcaíno and Terrazán (2020), Castiblanco and Vizcaíno (2022a, b). In this case, data arose from participant observation in a Physics Didactics course in an initial teacher training program at the District University Francisco José de Caldas, Bogotá. It was qualitative research of case study type, with 20 students finishing their training process. We focused on addressing the "mathematization of physics for teaching" in three phases by developing ways to enrich classroom interaction using experimental resources, technologies, and literature. The three phases were the criteria for planning and executing the course:   1) the phenomenological approach (awareness of the existence of the phenomenon);   2) the characterization of physical systems (identification of variables, parameters, constants, and initial conditions), and;   3) the conceptual modeling (synthesizing explanations and arguments in different types of language representations). Results show innovative processes in teacher discourses. They substantially changed the way of creating explanations in physics to the point of being able to work on topics that they did not understand, such as Minkowski diagrams, quantum entanglement, and the concept of entropy. We found evidence of real possibilities to get out of the traditional way of presenting mathematics in physics, understanding mathematization as a mental process to see nature. Also, they believe that learning physics can be deeper and more impressive than simply memorizing and applying formulas, as well as having an awareness of the dynamic role of the teacher beyond a transmitter of content. REFERENCES Castiblanco, O. (2003). Una perspectiva pedagógica a propósito de Dirac. Tesis De Maestría en Docencia de la Física. Universidad Pedagógica Nacional, Bogotá. Castiblanco, O. & Vizcaíno, D. (2022a). Taking on a new meaning of physics mathematization for teaching in teacher education processes. Clute International Academic Conference on Education Las Vegas - Science Track (ISEC), EEUU. Castiblanco, O. & Vizcaíno, D. (2022b) Enriching Interaction in the Classroom Based on Typologies of Experiments and Mathematization in Physics Teaching. International Conference On Physics Education And Learning. New York. Castiblanco, O. & Nardi. R. (2018). What and how to teach didactics of physics? An approach from disciplinary, sociocultural, and interactional dimensions. Journal of Science Education, 19(1),  100-117. Vizcaíno, D. (2013). Papel da “matematização” nas explicações de professores e alunos em disciplinas de física na formação inicial de professores. Tesis De Doctorado en Didáctica de las Ciencias y Matemáticas, Universidad Estadual Paulista,Facultad de ciencias. Bauru, Brasil. Vizcaíno, D. & Terrazzan, E. (2020) Meanings of physics mathematization in pre-service physics teachers. Revista Lasallista, de investigación, 17(1), 358-370

Forest biomass density across large climate gradients in northern South America is related to water availability but not with temperature

Understanding and predicting the likely response of ecosystems to climate change are crucial challenges for ecology and for conservation biology. Nowhere is this challenge greater than in the tropics as these forests store more than half the total atmospheric carbon stock in their biomass. Biomass is determined by the balance between biomass inputs (i.e., growth) and outputs (mortality). We can expect therefore that conditions that favor high growth rates, such as abundant water supply, warmth, and nutrient-rich soils will tend to correlate with high biomass stocks. Our main objective is to describe the patterns of above ground biomass (AGB) stocks across major tropical forests across climatic gradients in Northwestern South America. We gathered data from 200 plots across the region, at elevations ranging between 0 to 3400 m. We estimated AGB based on allometric equations and values for stem density, basal area, and wood density weighted by basal area at the plotlevel. We used two groups of climatic variables, namely mean annual temperature and actual evapotranspiration as surrogates of environmental energy, and annual precipitation, precipitation seasonality, and water availability as surrogates of water availability. We found that AGB is more closely related to water availability variables than to energy variables. In northwest South America, water availability influences carbon stocks principally by determining stand structure, i.e. basal area. When water deficits increase in tropical forests we can expect negative impact on biomass and hence carbon storage

Forest Biomass Density across Large Climate Gradients in Northern South America is related to Water Availability but not with Temperature

Understanding and predicting the likely response of ecosystems to climate change are crucial challenges for ecology and for conservation biology. Nowhere is this challenge greater than in the tropics as these forests store more than half the total atmospheric carbon stock in their biomass. Biomass is determined by the balance between biomass inputs (i.e., growth) and outputs (mortality). We can expect therefore that conditions that favor high growth rates, such as abundant water supply, warmth, and nutrient-rich soils will tend to correlate with high biomass stocks. Our main objective is to describe the patterns of above ground biomass (AGB) stocks across major tropical forests across climatic gradients in Northwestern South America. We gathered data from 200 plots across the region, at elevations ranging between 0 to 3400 m. We estimated AGB based on allometric equations and values for stem density, basal area, and wood density weighted by basal area at the plot-level. We used two groups of climatic variables, namely mean annual temperature and actual evapotranspiration as surrogates of environmental energy, and annual precipitation, precipitation seasonality, and water availability as surrogates of water availability. We found that AGB is more closely related to water availability variables than to energy variables. In northwest South America, water availability influences carbon stocks principally by determining stand structure, i.e. basal area. When water deficits increase in tropical forests we can expect negative impact on biomass and hence carbon storage

Gestión del conocimiento: perspectiva multidisciplinaria. Volumen 11

El libro “Gestión del Conocimiento. Perspectiva Multidisciplinaria”, Volumen 11, de la Colección Unión Global, es resultado de investigaciones. Los capítulos del libro, son resultados de investigaciones desarrolladas por sus autores. El libro cuenta con el apoyo de los grupos de investigación: Universidad Sur del Lago “Jesús María Semprúm” (UNESUR), Zulia – Venezuela; Universidad Politécnica Territorial de Falcón Alonso Gamero (UPTAG), Falcón – Venezuela; Universidad Politécnica Territorial de Mérida Kleber Ramírez (UPTM), Mérida – Venezuela; Universidad Guanajuato (UG) - Campus Celaya - Salvatierra - Cuerpo Académico de Biodesarrollo y Bioeconomía en las Organizaciones y Políticas Públicas (C.A.B.B.O.P.P), Guanajuato – México; Centro de Altos Estudios de Venezuela (CEALEVE), Zulia – Venezuela, Centro Integral de Formación Educativa Especializada del Sur (CIFE - SUR) - Zulia - Venezuela, Centro de Investigaciones Internacionales SAS (CIN), Antioquia - Colombia.y diferentes grupos de investigación del ámbito nacional e internacional que hoy se unen para estrechar vínculos investigativos, para que sus aportes científicos formen parte de los libros que se publiquen en formatos digital e impreso

Distribution of plots used to estimate aboveground biomass in the studied Northwest South American region (Colombia, Brazil, Peru and Ecuador).

<p>Color of the symbols represent the forest types in the region: Blue for forest plots in Amazonia; yellow for forest plots in the Andean uplands; red for plots in the inter-andean valleys; Orange for the Caribbean plots; Green for the Orinoco region and the green triangles for the forest plot in the Choco region. The grey scale is displayed to denote altitude (m. a.s.l).</p

Relationship between Aboveground Biomass (AGB) and (a) Water Availability (WA), (b) Precipitation Variability (PV), Actual Evapotranspiration (AET) and (d) Annual Mean Temperature (AMT).

<p>Bioregions are shown with different colors. Solid lines represent the trend of relationships, based on the original data (without transformation), according to the best models (highest AIC scores) presented in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0171072#pone.0171072.t002" target="_blank">Table 2</a>; pR² is a partial regression coefficient for each of the relationships.</p

Plots of forest structure parameters and aboveground biomass.

<p>The Coefficient of determination is showed in each plot. *P<0.01; **P<0.001; ***P<0.000; ns: non-significant.</p

Explanatory models of aboveground biomass.

<p>Explanatory models of aboveground biomass.</p

Mean and standard deviation of aboveground biomass (AGB) across geographic regions of Northwest South America.

<p>Mean and standard deviation of aboveground biomass (AGB) across geographic regions of Northwest South America.</p

Climatic space represented for each vegetation plot used in this analysis.

<p>The climatic space is shown as principal components analysis to reduce climatic variables used. The first axis represents temperature variability and second axis represents precipitation variability. Gray points represent the climatic space availability across Northwest South America. Blue points represent actual climatic conditions of each of the vegetation plots sampled.</p