ERIC Number: EJ1191008
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018-Sep
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1449-6313
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Up and Down, but Also Forward: Addressing Gender Differences in the Understanding of Projectile Motion
Low, David; Malik, Umairia; Wilson, Kate
Teaching Science, v64 n3 p14-20 Sep 2018
Large gender gaps in performance on questions involving projectile motion have been observed at high school and university level, even amongst high-achieving students. This gap is particularly problematic because projectile motion is typically one of the first topics formally taught in physics, and this may give girls an inappropriately negative impression of the subject and their ability to succeed in it. We present a case study describing a particularly problematic conceptual question on projectile motion, and a teaching intervention designed to address the gender gap on this question. The intervention is cheap, quick, and reduces the gender gap in facility on the particular question from around 30% to 10%, while providing excellent learning gains for both male and female students.
Descriptors: Gender Differences, Science Instruction, Motion, Scientific Concepts, Teaching Methods, Intervention, Physics, Hands on Science, Mathematical Formulas, Observation, Concept Formation, Freehand Drawing, High Schools, Secondary School Science, College Science, Foreign Countries
Australian Science Teachers Association. P.O. Box 334, Deakin West, ACT 2600, Australia. Tel: +61-02-6282-9377; Fax: +61-02-6282-9477; e-mail: publications@asta.edu.au; Web site: http://www.asta.edu.au/resources/teachingscience
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A