ERIC Number: ED575803
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 241
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 978-1-3696-3563-8
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
How College Students' Conceptions of Newton's Second and Third Laws Change through Watching Interactive Video Vignettes: A Mixed Methods Study
Engelman, Jonathan
ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Cincinnati
Changing student conceptions in physics is a difficult process and has been a topic of research for many years. The purpose of this study was to understand what prompted students to change or not change their incorrect conceptions of Newtons Second or Third Laws in response to an intervention, Interactive Video Vignettes (IVVs), designed to overcome them. This study is based on prior research reported in the literature which has found that a curricular framework of "elicit," "confront," "resolve," and "reflect" (ECRR) is important for changing student conceptions (McDermott, 2001). This framework includes four essential parts such that during an instructional event student conceptions should be "elicited," incorrect conceptions "confronted," these conflicts "resolved," and then students should be prompted to "reflect" on their learning. Twenty-two undergraduate student participants who completed either or both IVVs were studied to determine whether or not they experienced components of the ECRR framework at multiple points within the IVVs. A fully integrated, mixed methods design was used to address the study purpose. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected iteratively for each participant. Successive data collections were informed by previous data collections. All data were analyzed concurrently. The quantitative strand included a pre/post test that participants took before and after completing a given IVV and was used to measure the effect of each IVV on learning. The qualitative strand included video of each participant completing the IVV as well as an audio-recorded video elicitation interview after the post-test. The qualitative data collection was designed to describe student experiences with each IVV as well as to observe how the ECRR framework was experienced. Collecting and analyzing data using this mixed methods approach helped develop a more complete understanding of how student conceptions of Newtons Second and Third Laws changed through completion of IVVs and how the ECRR framework was experienced. In answering the research questions, two major conclusions were reached: (1) while the ECRR framework was experienced in both the Newtons 2nd Law and Newtons 3rd Law IVVs, these experiences were qualitatively different from each other and these differences help support the differences in gain scores on the post-tests for the participants; and (2) both IVVs were able to change certain misconceptions associated with either Newtons 2nd or 3rd laws more than others. Therefore, in researching student experiences while completing the Newtons 2nd Law and Newtons 3rd Law IVVs, I determined that a complete, sequential experience of the "elicit," "confront," "resolve," "reflect" framework led to the greatest change in student conceptions. This dissertation adds to the field of physics education through finding the positive impact of the ECRR framework, as IVVs are still being created and disseminated. Physics educators and researchers interested in conceptual change can use these findings to provide evidence on what students think when interacting with videos designed to change their conceptions. Finally, this dissertation supports the conceptual change literature in that the full, sequential experience involving each component of the ECRR framework led to a change in student conceptions. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: College Students, Scientific Literacy, Scientific Principles, Scientific Concepts, Physics, Misconceptions, Attitude Change, Intervention, Video Technology, Vignettes, Teaching Methods, Prompting, Reflection, Pretests Posttests, Knowledge Level, Interactive Video, Outcomes of Education, Instructional Effectiveness, Sequential Learning, Mixed Methods Research
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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