Bulletin of the American Physical Society
APS April Meeting 2012
Volume 57, Number 3
Saturday–Tuesday, March 31–April 3 2012; Atlanta, Georgia
Session R15: Physics Education Research: Issues in Intro Classes, Modeling and Gender |
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Sponsoring Units: FEd Chair: Thomas Olsen, Am. Inst. of Physics/Soc. of Physics Students Room: Grand Hall East D |
Monday, April 2, 2012 1:30PM - 1:42PM |
R15.00001: ABSTRACT WITHDRAWN |
Monday, April 2, 2012 1:42PM - 1:54PM |
R15.00002: Exploring the Integration of Computational Modeling in the ASU Modeling Curriculum Michael Schatz, John Aiken, John Burk, Marcos Caballero, Scott Douglas, Brian Thoms We describe the implementation of computational modeling in a ninth grade classroom in the context of the Arizona Modeling Instruction physics curriculum. Using a high-level programming environment (VPython), students develop computational models to predict the motion of objects under a variety of physical situations (e.g., constant net force), to simulate real world phenomenon (e.g., car crash), and to visualize abstract quantities (e.g., acceleration). We discuss how VPython allows students to utilize all four structures that describe a model as given by the ASU Modeling Instruction curriculum. Implications for future work will also be discussed. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, April 2, 2012 1:54PM - 2:06PM |
R15.00003: Analysis of Newton's Third Law Questions on the Force Concepts Inventory at Georgia State University Christopher Oakley, Brian Thoms A major emphasis of the Physics Education Research program at Georgia State University is an effort to assess and improve students' understanding of Newton's Laws concepts. As part of these efforts the Force Concepts Inventory (FCI) has been given to students in both the algebra-based and calculus-based introductory physics sequences. In addition, the algebra-based introductory physics sequence is taught in both a SCALE-UP and a traditional lecture format. The results of the FCI have been analyzed by individual question and also as categorized by content. The analysis indicates that students in both algebra and calculus-based courses are successful at overcoming Aristotelian misconceptions regarding Newton's Third Law (N3) in the context of a stationary system. However, students are less successful on N3 questions involving objects in constant motion or accelerating. Interference between understanding of Newton's Second and Third Laws as well as other possible explanations for lower student performance on N3 questions involving non-stationary objects will be discussed. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, April 2, 2012 2:06PM - 2:18PM |
R15.00004: Assessing the Integration of Computational Modeling and ASU Modeling Instruction in the High School Physics Classroom John Aiken, Michael Schatz, John Burk, Marcos Caballero, Brian Thoms We describe the assessment of computational modeling in a ninth grade classroom in the context of the Arizona Modeling Instruction physics curriculum. Using a high-level programming environment (VPython), students develop computational models to predict the motion of objects under a variety of physical situations (e.g., constant net force), to simulate real world phenomenon (e.g., car crash), and to visualize abstract quantities (e.g., acceleration). The impact of teaching computation is evaluated through a proctored assignment that asks the students to complete a provided program to represent the correct motion. Using questions isomorphic to the Force Concept Inventory we gauge students understanding of force in relation to the simulation. The students are given an open ended essay question that asks them to explain the steps they would use to model a physical situation. We also investigate the attitudes and prior experiences of each student using the Computation Modeling in Physics Attitudinal Student Survey (COMPASS) developed at Georgia Tech as well as a prior computational experiences survey. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, April 2, 2012 2:18PM - 2:30PM |
R15.00005: The Retarding Force on a Fan-Cart Reversing Direction Tarlok S. Aurora, Bernard J. Brunner In introductory physics, students learn that an object tossed upward has a constant downward acceleration while going up, at the highest point and while falling down. To demonstrate this concept, a self-propelled fan cart system is used on a frictionless track. A quick push is given to the fan cart and it is allowed to move away on a track under the opposing action of thrust produced by the fan. The cart moves away from the starting point, stops at some distance away and then reverses its motion. Students frequently predict the acceleration of the cart to be constant during the round trip motion. When an experiment was performed, it was found that the cart acceleration was not constant during the round trip. After ruling out any equipment problem, the cart motion was analyzed using Newton's laws with the inclusion of retarding forces. Results showed that the total retarding force was more significant than previously assumed, and it reversed direction during motion. This analysis seems to offer a reasonable explanation for the discrepancy between prediction and observation. In addition, students learned that the discrepancy was due to a real physical effect, and not an artifact of the equipment. This analysis offers a problem solving opportunity in introductory physics laboratory. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, April 2, 2012 2:30PM - 2:42PM |
R15.00006: The influence of physics teacher gender on college students' pursuit of careers in the physical sciences Florin Lung, Geoff Potvin, Philip M. Sadler, Gerhard Sonnert In science disciplines, students develop career goals based in part on their high school experiences. Science teachers and their personal characteristics are a part of this experience. In the case of physics, teacher gender is believed to modulate the interplay between student's own gender and their gender-related perceptions of physics. Using national data from college students (PRiSE Project, N=7505), we analyze the physics teacher gender effects on the choice of a career in the physical sciences by both male and female students. We examine three sub-samples of the data: students who have not taken any high school physics courses (about 60 percent of the total), those who have taken one physics course (teacher female or male), and those who have taken two physics courses (two female, two male, or one female and one male teacher). A correspondence analysis reveals an exploratory picture of the association between primary and confounding factors. Subsequently, a linear regression on students' physical science career choices is used as a confirmatory analysis of this picture. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, April 2, 2012 2:42PM - 2:54PM |
R15.00007: Examining Physics Career Interests: Recruitment and Persistence into College R.M. Lock, Z. Hazari, P.M. Sadler, G. Sonnert Compared to the undergraduate population, the number of students obtaining physics degrees has been declining since the 1960s. This trend continues despite the increasing number of students taking introductory physics courses in high school and college. Our work uses an ex-post facto design to study the factors that influence students' decision to pursue a career in physics at the beginning of college. These factors include high school physics classroom experiences, other science-related experiences, and students' career motivations. The data used in this study is drawn from the Persistence Research in Science and Engineering (PRiSE) Project, a large-scale study that surveyed a nationally representative sample of college/university students enrolled in introductory English courses about their interests and prior experiences in science. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, April 2, 2012 2:54PM - 3:06PM |
R15.00008: The Relationship between Doctoral Completion Time, Gender, and Future Salary Prospects for Physical Scientists Geoff Potvin, Robert H. Tai Drawing from a national survey of Ph.D.-holding physical scientists, we present evidence that doctoral completion time is a strong predictor of future salary prospects: each additional year in graduate school corresponds to a substantially lower average salary. This is true even while controlling for typical measures of scientific merit (grant funding and publication rates) and several other structural and career factors expected to influence salaries. Extending this picture to include gender effects, we show that women earn significantly less than men overall and experience no effect of doctoral completion time on their salaries, while men see a significant gain in salary stemming from earlier completion times. Doctoral completion time is shown to be largely unconnected to measures of prior academic success, research independence, and scientific merit suggesting that doctoral completion time is, to a great extent, out of the control of individual graduate students. Nonetheless, it can be influential on an individual's future career prospects, as can gender-related effects. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, April 2, 2012 3:06PM - 3:18PM |
R15.00009: Factors that encourage females to pursue physical science careers: Testing five common hypotheses Zahra Hazari, Geoff Potvin, Robynne M. Lock, Florin Lung, Philip M. Sadler, Gerhard Sonnert There are many hypotheses regarding factors that may encourage female students to pursue careers in the physical sciences. Using Propensity Score Matching (PSM) on national data (n=7505) drawn from the Persistence Research in Science and Engineering (PRiSE) project, we test five commonly held beliefs including having a single-sex physics class, having a female physics teacher, having female scientist guest speakers in physics class, discussing the work of women scientists in physics class, and discussing the under-representation of women in physics class. The effect of these experiences is compared for female students who are matched on several factors, including parental education, prior science/math interests, and academic background, thereby controlling for the effect of many confounding variables. [Preview Abstract] |
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