1. Institute for innovation and development of learning process
Reality Physics Teaching (RPT) for Improving Student Expectations in Learning Physics
Umporn Wutchana
Institute for innovation and development of learning process
Mahidol University

2. Out line Introduction Motivation Pilot studies Research Questions
Research Objectives
Research Hypotheses
Research Methodology
Expected Outcomes

3. Introduction
Student attitudes, beliefs and assumption about physics and learning physics play a critical role in their learning and understanding about physics.

4. Introduction
Student attitudes, beliefs and assumption about physics and learning physics play a critical role in their learning and understanding about physics.
attitudes
beliefs
expectations
assumption

5. Introduction
Physics education researchers have probed student expectations.
Physics education researchers distinguished the expectations of experts and the expectations of novices.
Physics education researchers found relationships between student expectations and their learning.

6. Motivation Student expectations affect their conceptual learning.
Most students still have more novice-like expectations after physics courses.
Can improving student expectations cause improvement of their conceptual learning?

7. Survey and Test Maryland Physics Expectation Survey (MPEX)
University of Maryland Physics Education Research Group in 1992
Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation (FMCE)
Thornton and Sokoloff 1998

8. Strongly disagree Neutral Agree Disagree Strongly agree
MPEX
University of Maryland Physics Education Research Group in 1992
34 items
5-option Likert scale
Strongly disagree Neutral Agree Disagree Strongly agree

9. MPEX
Responses agreeing with the experts were defined as favorable responses.
Responses disagreeing with the experts were defined as unfavorable responses.
favorable
unfavorable

11. MPEX
Independence
Coherence
Concepts
Reality Link
Math Link
Effort

12. Learning physics means reconstructing one’s own understanding.
MPEX
Independence
Coherence
Concepts
Reality Link
Math Link
Effort
Learning physics means reconstructing one’s own understanding.

13. MPEX Independence Coherence Concepts Reality Link Math Link Effort
The structure of physics knowledge is based on a single coherent system.

14. MPEX Independence Coherence Concepts Reality Link Math Link Effort
The content of physics knowledge is based on concepts that underlie the formulas.

15. Physics is connected with reality.
MPEX
Independence
Coherence
Concepts
Reality Link
Math Link
Effort
Physics is connected with reality.

16. MPEX Independence Coherence Concepts Reality Link Math Link Effort
Mathematical formalism is used as a way of representing information about physics phenomena.

17. Activities and work are necessary to make sense out of physics.
MPEX
Independence
Coherence
Concepts
Reality Link
Math Link
Effort
Activities and work are necessary to make sense out of physics.

18. FMCE
Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation (FMCE) was developed by Thornton and Sokoloff (1998).
FMCE was designed to probe students understanding of force and motion.
46 items

19. Questions for Pilot Studies
What are Thai student expectations toward learning physics?
What are the relationships between student expectations and their physics learning?
What are the student expectations after a physics course?
What are the student expectations after an active learning?

20. Pilot studies Student expectations toward learning physics
Correlations between student expectations and their learning
Student expectations after a traditional physics course
Student expectations after an active learning

21. Student expectations toward learning physics
MPEX
First-Year students
High-School students
Student Expectations
Part 1

22. Student expectations toward learning physics
Percentage (%) of students giving Favorable responses on MPEX survey 2006.
Overall
Independence
Coherence
Concepts
Reality
Link
Math
Effort FY 34 19 23 24 44 31 48 HS 27 14 18 43
Part 1

23. Student expectations toward learning physics
Percentage (%) of students giving Favorable responses on MPEX survey 2006.
Overall
Independence
Coherence
Concepts
Reality
Link
Math
Effort FY 34 19 23 24 44 31 48 HS 27 14 18 43
Part 1

24. Student expectations toward learning physicsFY %
Redish et al., 1998 %
Part 1

25. Correlations between student expectations and their learning
MPEX/FMCE
Pre-test
First-Year Students
FMCE
Post-test
Student Expectations/Conceptual learning Outcomes
Part 2

26. Correlations between student expectations and their learning
Expectation clusters
Correlations of expectations with
FMCE gains (p-value)
Overall
0.31 (0.0001)
Independence
0.22 (0.002)
Coherence
0.29 (0.0001)
Concepts
0.21 (0.003)
Reality Link
Math Link
0.24 (0.0006)
Effort
-0.05 (0.48)
Part 2

27. Correlations between student expectations and their learning
% FAV
Part 2

28. Student expectations after a physics course
MPEX
Pre-test
High-School Students (A traditional class)
Post-test
MPEX
Student Expectation Changes
Part 3

29. Student expectations after a physics course
Percentage (%) of high-school students giving favorable responses on MPEX survey
before and after a physics course 2007.
Overall
Independence
Coherence
Concepts
Reality
Link
Math
Effort
Pre 32 21 18 13 42 20 50
Post 27 16 12 11
Part 3

30. Student expectations after a physics course
Percentage (%) of high-school students giving favorable responses on MPEX survey
before and after a physics course 2007.
Overall
Independence
Coherence
Concepts
Reality
Link
Math
Effort
Pre 32 21 18 13 42 20 50
Post 27 16 12 11
Part 3

31. Student expectations after an active learning
MPEX
2 STATEMENTS
Pre-test
High-School Students (An active learning class)
2 STATEMENTS
Post-test
Student Expectation Changes
Part 4

32. Student expectations after an active learning
# 1: Physics has a relation to the real world.
# 2: Leaning physics helps me understand situations
in my everyday life.
Part 4

33. Student expectations before an active learning
# 1: Physics has a relation to the real world.
Part 4

34. Student expectations after an active learning
# 1: Physics has a relation to the real world.
Part 4

35. Student expectations before an active learning
# 2: Leaning physics helps me understand situations
in my everyday life.
Part 4

36. Student expectations after an active learning
# 2: Leaning physics helps me understand situations
in my everyday life.
Part 4

37. Preliminary Results Thai student had more novice-like expectations.
Student expectations were changed to be more novice-like after a physics course.
Positive correlations between student expectations and their conceptual learning were found.
Student expectations are important factor affecting their learning

38. Research Questions
What are Thai student expectations toward learning physics?
Can Reality Physics Teaching (RPT) improve the student expectations in the Reality Link cluster?
What are relationships between the student expectations and their physics learning?

39. Research Objectives
To investigate Thai student expectations toward learning physics.
To design Reality Physics Teaching (RPT) for improving student Reality Link expectations toward learning physics.
To study relationships between the student expectations and their physics learning outcomes.

40. Research Hypotheses
Students who have more sophisticated expectations toward learning physics learn physics better than others.
Reality Physics Teaching (RPT) can be used to improve student Reality Link expectations toward learning physics.

41. Research Methodology
Phase 1 Student expectations and Conceptual learning Investigation
Phase 2 Design Reality Physics Teaching
Phase 3 Reality Physics Teaching Evaluation

42. Phase 1 Student expectations and Conceptual learning Investigation
Investigate Thai student expectations and their conceptual learning
PHASE 1
Find the relationships between student expectations and their conceptual learning

43. Phase 2 Design Reality Physics Teaching
Design Reality Physics Teaching (RPT) for improving student Reality Link expectations
PHASE 2
Use the RPT to teach students in order to improve their expectations
Redesign RPT if No improvement in expectations
Determine student expectation changes

44. Reality Physics Teaching (RPT)
RPT focus on Kinematics
Goals of Reality Physics Teaching
Improve expectations about Reality Link
Improve conceptual understanding
Connect classroom learning with real-word experience

45. Reality Physics Teaching (RPT)
Principle for RPT: each lesson plan includes activities that
engage students to join in interactive learning
provide activities that invite students to construct their own understanding about physics concepts
help students modify their common conceptions about physical phenomena that make it difficult for them to understand general principle of physics
connect real word experience with classroom learning
provide opportunities for class discussion of student ideas and findings

46. An Example of RPT Activities
RPT : SPEED

47. An Example of RPT Activities
4-5 students were grouped.
The student groups were asked to find how fast people or animals move.
The students find the answer using the provided instrument.
A Timer
A Measuring Tape
A Sheet of Paper
The students present their method and results.
All of them have time for discussion
The students conclude how to find speed of things.

48. An Example of RPT Activities
Here are some pieces of student work. Group 1 was assigned to find the speed of walking people. The students fix distance. Then, they measure the time for walking along the fixed distance. After that, they can find the speed of walking people.

49. An Example of RPT Activities
Group 2 was assigned to find the speed of the blinds when they walk. In this activity, One student closes his eyes. Turn around himself and walk about 10 seconds. Then, they measure the distance and find the speed of a blind student.

50. An Example of RPT Activities
Group 3 was assigned to find the speed of ants. They measure the distance covered by an ants in 1 minute. So, they can find the speed of ants.

51. An Example of RPT Activities
Here are some pieces of student work. Group 1 was assigned to find the speed of walking people. The students fix distance. Then, they measure the time for walking along the fixed distance. After that, they can find the speed of walking people.

52. An Example of RPT Activities
Group 3 was assigned to find the speed of ants. They measure the distance covered by an ants in 1 minute. So, they can find the speed of ants.

53. Phase 3 Reality Physics Teaching Evaluation
Use the RPT to teach students in order to improve their Reality Link expectations
Determine student expectation changes
PHASE 3
Find the relationship between student expectation changes and their conceptual learning and Evaluate RPT
Outcome: RPT for improving Reality Link expectations

54. Expected Outcomes RPT learning unit RPT teaching medias
More understanding about the impact of student expectations on their conceptual learning

55. Expected Outcomes

56. Research Plan

57. Completed Work
Student Expectations in First-year Physics Course presented at SPC 2007
The Comparison between Teacher and Student Expectations in Learning Physics presented at STT 2007
Student Expectations after a Physics Course : A Case Study from 39 High-School Students presented at ICASE 2007
Finding Negative Correlation between Student Effort Expectations and Their Learning in Introductory Physics submitted to Physical Review Special Topics – Physics Education Research