Misconceptions in Kinematics

A review of research with connections to Active Physics

“DIFFICULTIES IN CONNECTING MOTION GRAPHS TO PHYSICAL

CONCEPTS” McDermott et al, June 1987

Misconceptions

Misconceptions

Students have difficulty with:

The difference between the slope and height of a graph.

Changes in height and slope.

Misconceptions

Students have difficulty with:

Relating one type of graph to another(position, velocity, acceleration)

Matching narrative information with related features of a graph

The meaning of the area under a graph

Misconceptions

Students have difficultly with:

Representing continuous motion with a line or curve

Differentiating between the shape of a graph and the path of the motion

Negative velocity, constant acceleration

Instructional Strategies

Instructional Strategies

Three graphs of same shape

Position, Velocity, Acceleration

Aids in students’ ability to identify differences in ways information is conveyed

Instructional Strategies

Graphs in different contexts

Other physics topics (ex: heat transfered vs. temperature)

Contexts outside scope of physics (ex: oil consumption vs. time)

Instructional Strategies

Transfer between graph and real-world phenomena

Given an object’s behavior, graph observed phenomenon

Given graphs, construct a track that will show corresponding behavior.

Active Physics

Active Physics

Many of these strategies are built in

Connection of real-word and graphs

Ex: Sports 1 Activity Four: Carl Lewis’s Race

Challenge for teacher--remember misconceptions

When possible, confront students with those misconceptions (ex: The position graph is going up, so that means it’s speeding up, right?)

Active PhysicsTake advantage of opportunities to connect real-world phenomena with graphs.

Quick sketches of graphs for observed phenomena develop students’ understanding of the nature of graphs.

Given graphs, have students reproduce phenomena.

Show graphs that “appear” similar. What makes them different?