The purpose of this study is to identify the cognitive structures of prospective preschool teachers concerning the concepts included in the subject "force and motion". The study was conducted on a total of 56 prospective teachers who studied Preschool Teaching at Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University. The Word Association Test (WAT) was…

Reports concepts which 12th-grade physics students hold about motion before and after a lecture is given. Compares quantitative and qualitative research methodology and describes some responses to test items. Shows six questions, student responses, and typical incorrect explanations used by students. (YP)

By studying many observations from recent research dealing with beginning physics students' conceptions about forces and motion, this investigation produced a framework within which this research can be organized. The framework summarizes the mechanisms of force invoked by students in particular situations, and it describes the features of…

This paper analyzes the misconceptions high school students have about force and suggests that the misunderstanding of Newton's third law is the key to these misconceptions. Clinical interview and diagnostic test data (N=104) indicates that many students have a naive view of force as an acquired or innate property of single objects rather than…

Examines preconceptions regarding several implicit vector characteristics that 15- to 17-year-old students possess just before taking their first physics course. Shows seven vector characteristics and three tasks for interviewing students. Presents the most common student preconceptions regarding each of the implicit vector characteristics. (YP)

Advocates the accuracy of the common belief that the possession of energy drives, gives potential for, or accounts for change. Argues that the term "free energy" or entropy represents the possibility of change. Recommends that educators reexamine their use of these terms to prevent common misconceptions about energy. (TW)

Students lacking formal training in physics have great difficulty predicting the paths of various projectiles. With respect to pendulum-bobs that are released from various points in a swing, a previous experiment found that empirical feedback (i.e., resultant trajectories) produced transfer-of-training to other pendular-based tasks. However, such…

Three purposes of this study were to: (1) propose some organizing theoretical and observational definitions of the anchor construct; (2) present some initial findings from a diagnostic test designed to uncover anchors for high school physics instruction; and (3) provoke an initial discussion of the new methodological issues that arise in this…

Two studies examined the construction of children's beliefs about projectile motion of a ball rolled off a table. Describes the concepts used by children, analyzes their use as a function of age, and gives a naturalistic description of their use. Results indicate that appropriate instruction can remediate misconceptions. (MDH)

Reports the rationale, design, validation, and uses of the "Force Concept Inventory," an instrument to assess the students' beliefs on force. Includes results and implications of two studies that compared the inventory with the "Mechanics Baseline." Includes a copy of the instrument. (MDH)

This paper evaluates the strengths and limitations of a computer tutor designed to help students understand physics concepts. The tutor uses a teaching strategy called "bridging analogies" that previous research has demonstrated to be successful in one-to-one tutoring. The strategy is designed to remedy misconceptions by appealing to existing…