Abstract
We investigate introductory physics students' difficulties in translating between mathematical and graphical representations and the effect of scaffolding on students' performance. We gave a typical problem that can be solved using Gauss's law involving a spherically symmetric charge distribution (a conducting sphere concentric with a conducting spherical shell) to 95 calculus-based introductory physics students. We asked students to write a mathematical expression for the electric field in various regions and asked them to graph the electric field. We knew from previous experience that students have great difficulty in graphing the electric field. Therefore, we implemented two scaffolding interventions to help them. Students who received the scaffolding support were either (1) asked to plot the electric field in each region first (before having to plot it as a function of distance from the center of the sphere) or (2) asked to plot the electric field in each region after explicitly evaluating the electric field at the beginning, mid and end points of each region. The comparison group was only asked to plot the electric field at the end of the problem. We found that students benefited the most from intervention (1) and that intervention (2), although intended to aid students, had an adverse effect. Also, recorded interviews were conducted with a few students in order to understand how students were impacted by the aforementioned interventions.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | 2012 Physics Education Research Conference |
| Editors | N. Sanjay Rebello, Paula V. Engelhardt, Alice D. Churukian |
| Publisher | American Institute of Physics Inc. |
| Pages | 250-253 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9780735411340 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2013 Jan 1 |
| Event | 2012 Physics Education Research Conference, PERC 2012 - Philadelphia, United States Duration: 2012 Aug 1 → 2012 Aug 2 |
Publication series
| Name | AIP Conference Proceedings |
|---|---|
| Volume | 1513 |
| ISSN (Print) | 0094-243X |
| ISSN (Electronic) | 1551-7616 |
Other
| Other | 2012 Physics Education Research Conference, PERC 2012 |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| City | Philadelphia |
| Period | 12-08-01 → 12-08-02 |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Physics and Astronomy(all)
Cite this
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Student difficulties in translating between mathematical and graphical representations in introductory physics. / Lin, Shih Yin; Maries, Alexandru; Singh, Chandralekha.
2012 Physics Education Research Conference. ed. / N. Sanjay Rebello; Paula V. Engelhardt; Alice D. Churukian. American Institute of Physics Inc., 2013. p. 250-253 (AIP Conference Proceedings; Vol. 1513).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution
TY - GEN
T1 - Student difficulties in translating between mathematical and graphical representations in introductory physics
AU - Lin, Shih Yin
AU - Maries, Alexandru
AU - Singh, Chandralekha
PY - 2013/1/1
Y1 - 2013/1/1
N2 - We investigate introductory physics students' difficulties in translating between mathematical and graphical representations and the effect of scaffolding on students' performance. We gave a typical problem that can be solved using Gauss's law involving a spherically symmetric charge distribution (a conducting sphere concentric with a conducting spherical shell) to 95 calculus-based introductory physics students. We asked students to write a mathematical expression for the electric field in various regions and asked them to graph the electric field. We knew from previous experience that students have great difficulty in graphing the electric field. Therefore, we implemented two scaffolding interventions to help them. Students who received the scaffolding support were either (1) asked to plot the electric field in each region first (before having to plot it as a function of distance from the center of the sphere) or (2) asked to plot the electric field in each region after explicitly evaluating the electric field at the beginning, mid and end points of each region. The comparison group was only asked to plot the electric field at the end of the problem. We found that students benefited the most from intervention (1) and that intervention (2), although intended to aid students, had an adverse effect. Also, recorded interviews were conducted with a few students in order to understand how students were impacted by the aforementioned interventions.
AB - We investigate introductory physics students' difficulties in translating between mathematical and graphical representations and the effect of scaffolding on students' performance. We gave a typical problem that can be solved using Gauss's law involving a spherically symmetric charge distribution (a conducting sphere concentric with a conducting spherical shell) to 95 calculus-based introductory physics students. We asked students to write a mathematical expression for the electric field in various regions and asked them to graph the electric field. We knew from previous experience that students have great difficulty in graphing the electric field. Therefore, we implemented two scaffolding interventions to help them. Students who received the scaffolding support were either (1) asked to plot the electric field in each region first (before having to plot it as a function of distance from the center of the sphere) or (2) asked to plot the electric field in each region after explicitly evaluating the electric field at the beginning, mid and end points of each region. The comparison group was only asked to plot the electric field at the end of the problem. We found that students benefited the most from intervention (1) and that intervention (2), although intended to aid students, had an adverse effect. Also, recorded interviews were conducted with a few students in order to understand how students were impacted by the aforementioned interventions.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84994770242&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84994770242&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1063/1.4789699
DO - 10.1063/1.4789699
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:84994770242
T3 - AIP Conference Proceedings
SP - 250
EP - 253
BT - 2012 Physics Education Research Conference
A2 - Rebello, N. Sanjay
A2 - Engelhardt, Paula V.
A2 - Churukian, Alice D.
PB - American Institute of Physics Inc.
ER -