Fostering Students Conceptual Coherence

Conceptual understanding is widely regarded as an
important aim in an introductory physics course at
high school, college, or university level. However,
this goal invites two important questions: firstly,
what does conceptual understanding entail, and
secondly, what kind of instructional approach might
be efficient in imparting conceptual understanding
to students? In this book the notion of students
conceptual coherence is introduced to clarify what
is meant by conceptual understanding. Students
conceptual coherence is divided into three aspects:
contextual, representational, and conceptual
framework coherence. The abilities required by the
conceptual coherence are discussed as well as ways
of evaluating it in the case of the force concept. A
new research-based instructional approach to foster
students conceptual coherence of the force concept
and related kinematics is introduced and validated:
it brings together interactive-engagement teaching
methods and the research on students'' difficulties
with the target domain. This book is aimed at
researchers in physics and science education and
physics instructors.

Autorentext
Antti J. Savinainen, Ph.D., B.Ed.: Studied physics, mathematics, and science education at the University of Kuopio and University of Joensuu. He teaches physics and mathematics at Kuopion Lyseo High School, Kuopio, Finland. He is also an Adjunct Professor in Physics Education Research at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland.

Klappentext
Conceptual understanding is widely regarded as an important aim in an introductory physics course at high school, college, or university level. However, this goal invites two important questions: firstly, what does conceptual understanding entail, and secondly, what kind of instructional approach might be efficient in imparting conceptual understanding to students? In this book the notion of students' conceptual coherence is introduced to clarify what is meant by conceptual understanding. Students' conceptual coherence is divided into three aspects: contextual, representational, and conceptual framework coherence. The abilities required by the conceptual coherence are discussed as well as ways of evaluating it in the case of the force concept. A new research-based instructional approach to foster students' conceptual coherence of the force concept and related kinematics is introduced and validated: it brings together interactive-engagement teaching methods and the research on students' difficulties with the target domain. This book is aimed at researchers in physics and science education and physics instructors.