Introduction and Methodology

1. Students’ Views of Math Physics Problems: Structure vs. Content Dyan L. Jones • Introduction and Methodology • Part of a larger project studying the intersection of math and physics learning • This part: examine the key words and phrases that students focus on while determining how to approach the problems • Students were given two sets of problems (10 math and 10 physics, successively) • They were asked to discuss and compare the problems within each set • Data collected via group interviews (3-4 students per group) in 2012-2013 • Second semester, calculus-based, introductory physics students • Phenomonographic Approach • Emphasis on the students’ experience as the learner/participant1 • Catalogue of the words and phrases that students emphasized while approaching the comparison/categorization task • Only meant to be a first-level of analysis, a more formal Discourse Analysis • Word Cloud Diagrams created to provide visual representation • Scaled diagrams: the size of the word represents the frequency • Findings, continued • Physics: did not immediately focus on technique, but rather the variables • Took nearly 3 times as long to complete – consensus was reached slowly • Discussion always first centered on the content of the problem • Evidence in the diagram: distance, work, time, force, etc. • Equation: came up in a variety of ways, many pointing to needing an equation sheet • After time some groups moved toward discussing the mathematical process • Considerable prompting often required • Most commonly recognized mathematical tool: integration • Conclusions • When asked to interpret mathematics and physics problems, students seem to focus on different key words and phrases • Math: focus on the processes and techniques • Physics: focus on the context and variables • After some time, some shift to look at the processes required • Continuation: examine how these initial triggers might affect the problem solving process • Findings • Students seem to be focusing on a different set of triggers (words, phrases, symbols, etc.) in math and physics problems • Consistent with prior studies on words and symbols in each discipline2 • Math: focus on what the problem “wants them to do” • Frequently say things like “take an integral” or “just multiply” • Students displayed same integral confusion shown in other studies3 • No discussion of the context of the problem in any of the groups References Marton, F., Phenomenography – a research approach to investigate different understandings of reality. Journal of Thought, 1986, 21, 28-49. Redish, E. F., Problem solving and the use of math in physics courses. In World View on Physics Education in 2005: Focusing on Change, Delhi, 2005 Nguyen, D.-H.; Rebello, N. S., Students' understanding and application of the area under the curve concept in physics problems. Physical Review - Special Topics PER 2011,7 (1)