We report the common justifications that university physics and chemistry students use to reason about changes in the pressure of an ideal gas from a microscopic perspective, based on our analysis of written responses from more than one thousand students. We find that these justifications vary in the extent to which they are (a) mechanistic and (b) consistent with kinetic-molecular theory. We propose that these ideas could serve as the basis for instruction and curriculum development that attends to student thinking.
References
1.
NGSS Lead States
, Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States
(The National Academies Press
, Washington
, DC, 2013
).2.
J.
Bransford
, A.
Brown
, and R.
Cocking
, How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School
(National Academies Press
, Washington, DC
, 2000
).3.
National Research Council
, Scientific Research in Education
(Center for Education, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education
, Washington, DC
, 2003
).4.
National Research Council
, Taking Science to School: Learning and Teaching Science in Grades K-8
(National Academies Press
, Washington DC
, 2007
).5.
National Research Council
, A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas
(National Academies Press
, Washington DC
, 2012
).6.
R.
Driver
and B.
Bell
, “Students' thinking and the learning of science: a constructivist view
,” School Sci. Rev.
67
, 443
–456
(1986
).7.
C. T.
Fosnot
, “Constructivism: A psychological theory of learning
,” in Constructivism: Theory, Perspectives, and Practice
, edited by C. T.
Fosnot
(Teachers College Press
, New York
, 1996
), p. 8
–33
.8.
E.
von Glasersfeld
, “Learning as constructive activity
,” in Proceedings of the 5th Annual Meeting of the North American Group of Psychology in Mathematics Education
, edited by J. C.
Bergeron
and N.
Herscovics
(PME-NA
, Montreal
, 1983
), pp. 41
–101
.9.
F.
Erickson
, “Some thoughts on "proximal" formative assessment of student learning
,” Yearbook Natl. Soc. Study Educ.
106
(1
), 186
–216
(2007
).10.
P.
Black
and D.
Wiliam
, “Assessment and classroom learning
,” Assess. Educ.
5
(1
), 7
–74
(1998
).11.
J. E.
Coffey
et al., “The missing disciplinary substance of formative assessment
,” J. Res. Sci. Teach.
48
(10
), 1109
–1136
(2011
).12.
L. C.
McDermott
and E. F.
Redish
, “Resource letter: PER-1: Physics education research
,” Am. J. Phys.
67
(9
), 755
–767
(1999
).13.
B. W.
Dreyfus
et al., “Resource letter TTSM-1: Teaching thermodynamics and statistical mechanics in introductory physics, chemistry, and biology
,” Am. J. Phys.
83
(1
), 5
–21
(2015
).14.
J. L.
Docktor
and J. P.
Mestre
, “Synthesis of discipline-based education research in physics
,” Phys. Rev. Spec. Top.–Phys. Educ. Res.
10
, 020119
(2014
).15.
F.
Goldberg
et al., Physical Science and Everyday Thinking
, 2nd ed. (It's About Time, Herff Jones Educational Division
, USA
, 2009
).16.
L. C.
McDermott
, P. S.
Shaffer
, and PEG at UW
, Tutorials in Introductory Physics
, Preliminary 2nd ed. (Prentice Hall College Division
, USA
, 2011
).17.
L. C.
McDermott
and PEG at UW
, Physics by Inquiry
(Wiley and Sons
, USA
, 1995
), Vol. 1.18.
L. C.
McDermott
and PEG at UW
, Physics by Inquiry
(Wiley and Sons
, USA
, 1996
), Vol. 2.19.
A. D.
Robertson
and P. S.
Shaffer
, “University student and K-12 teacher reasoning about the basic tenets of kinetic-molecular theory, Part I: Volume of an ideal gas
," Am. J. Phys.
81
(4
), 303
–312
(2013
).20.
P. A.
Tipler
and G.
Mosca
, Physics for Scientists and Engineers
(W. H. Freeman and Company
, New York
, 2004
), Vol. 1.21.
22.
R. S.
Russ
et al., “Making classroom assessment more accountable to scientific reasoning: A case for attending to mechanistic thinking
,” Sci. Educ.
93
(5
), 875
–891
(2009
).23.
R. S.
Russ
et al., “Recognizing mechanistic reasoning in student scientific inquiry: A framework for discourse analysis developed from philosophy of science
,” Sci. Educ.
92
(3
), 499
–525
(2008
).24.
L.
Darden
, “Strategies for discovering mechanisms: Schema instantiation, modular subassembly, forward/backward chaining
,” Philos. Sci. (Suppl.)
69
, S354
–S365
(2009
).25.
L.
Darden
and C. F.
Craver
, “Strategies in the interfield discovery of the mechanism of protein synthesis
,” Stud. Hist. Philos. Biol. Biomed. Sci.
33
, 1
–28
(2002
).26.
P.
Machamer
, D.
Darden
, and C. F.
Craver
, “Thinking about mechanisms
,” Philos. Sci.
67
, 1
–25
(2000
).27.
P.
Machamer
, “Activities and causation: The metaphysics and epistemology of mechanisms
,” Int. Stud. Philos. Sci.
18
(1
), 27
–39
(2004
).28.
J. P.
Smith
III, A. A.
diSessa
, and J.
Roschelle
, “Misconceptions reconceived: A constructivist analysis of knowledge in transition
,” J. Learn. Sci.
3
(2
), 115
–163
(1993
).29.
L. C.
McDermott
, “Millikan lecture 1990: What we teach and what is learned—Closing the gap
,” Am. J. Phys.
59
(4
), 301
–315
(1991
).30.
C.
Singh
, “Effect of misconception on transfer in problem solving
,” in Proceedings of the 2007 Physics Education Research Conference
, edited by L.
Hsu
, C.
Henderson
, and L.
McCullough
(AIP Conference Proceedings
, Melville, NY
, 2007
), pp. 196
–199
.31.
R.
Leinonen
, M. A.
Asikainen
, and P. E.
Hirvonen
, “Overcoming students' misconceptions concerning thermal physics with the aid of hints and peer interaction during a lecture course
,” Phys. Rev. Spec. Top.–Phys. Educ. Res.
9
, 020112
(2013
).32.
C.
Singh
, “Student understanding of quantum mechanics
,” Am. J. Phys.
69
(8
), 885
–895
(2001
).33.
S.
Carey
, “Cognitive science and science education
,” Am. Psychol.
41
(10
), 1123
–1130
(1986
).34.
G. J.
Posner
et al., “Accommodation of a scientific conception: Toward a theory of conceptual change
,” Sci. Educ.
66
(2
), 211
–227
(1982
).35.
M.
McCloskey
, “Naive theories of motion
,” in Mental Models
, edited by D.
Gentner
and A.
Stevens
(Erlbaum
, Hillsdale, NJ
, 1983
), pp. 299
–324
.36.
D.
Hammer
, “Student resources for learning introductory physics
,” Am. J. Phys.
68
(7
), S52
–S59
(2000
).37.
L. C.
McDermott
, “Oersted medal lecture 2001: ‘Physics education research—The key to student learning’
,” Am. J. Phys.
69
(11
), 1127
–1137
(2001
).38.
R.
Driver
, E.
Guesne
, and A.
Tiberghein
, Children's Ideas in Science
(Open University Press
, Philadelphia, PA
, 1985
).39.
R.
Driver
et al., Making Sense of Secondary Science: Research Into Children's Ideas
(Routledge
, New York
, NY, 1994
).40.
A.
Elby
, “Helping physics students learn how to learn
,” Am. J. Phys.
69
(7
), S54
–S64
(2001
).41.
D.
Hammer
, “Student inquiry in a physics class discussion
,” Cognit. Instruct.
13
(3
), 401
–430
(1995
).42.
D.
Hammer
and E.
van Zee
, Seeing the Science in Children's Thinking: Case Studies of Student Inquiry in Physical Science
(Heinemann
, Portsmouth, NH
, 2006
).43.
D.
Levin
et al., Becoming a Responsive Science Teacher: Focusing on Student Thinking in Secondary Science
(National Science Teachers Association Press
, Arlington, VA
, 2012
).44.
D. L.
Ball
, “With an eye on the mathematical horizon: Dilemmas of teaching elementary school mathematics
,” Elementary School J.
93
(4
), 373
–397
(1993
).45.
D.
Hammer
, “Discovery learning and discovery teaching
,” Cognit. Instruct.
15
(4
), 485
–529
(1997
).46.
D. E.
Brown
, “Refocusing core intuitions: A concretizing role for analogy in conceptual change
,” J. Res. Sci. Teach.
30
(10
), 1273
–1290
(1993
).47.
J.
Clement
, “Using bridging analogies and anchoring intuitions to deal with students' preconceptions in physics
,” J. Res. Sci. Teach.
30
(10
), 1241
–1257
(1993
).48.
A.
diSessa
, “Momentum flow as an alternative perspective in elementary mechanics
,” Am. J. Phys.
48
(5
), 365
–369
(1980
).49.
D. J.
Grayson
, “Concept substitution: A teaching strategy for helping students disentangle related physics concepts
,” Am. J. Phys.
72
(8
), 1126
–1133
(2004
).50.
J.
Minstrell
, “Explaining the ‘at rest’ condition of an object
,” Phys. Teach.
20
, 10
–20
(1982
).51.
P.
Hutchison
and D.
Hammer
, “Attending to student epistemological framing in a science classroom
,” Sci. Educ.
94
, 506
–524
(2010
).52.
D.
Hammer
, “Misconceptions or P-Prims: How may alternative perspectives of cognitive structure influence instructional perceptions and intentions?
” J. Learn. Sci.
5
(2
), 97
–127
(1996
).53.
D.
Hammer
et al., “Resources, framing, and transfer
,” in Transfer of Learning from a Modern Multidisciplinary Perspective
, edited by J. P.
Mestre
(Information Age Publishing
, USA
, 2005
), pp. 89
–119
.54.
C.
Kautz
, “Identifying and addressing student difficulties with the ideal gas law, in physics
,” University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 1999.55.
S.
Rozier
and L.
Viennot
, “Students' reasonings in thermodynamics
,” Int. J. Sci. Educ.
13
(2
), 159
–170
(1999
).56.
M.
Meheut
, “Designing a learning sequence about a pre-quantitative kinetic model of gases: the parts played by questions and by a computer-simulation
,” Int. J. Sci. Educ.
19
(6
), 647
–660
(1997
).57.
M. G.
Sere
, “The gaseous state
,” in Children's Ideas in Science
, edited by R.
Driver
, E.
Guesne
, and A.
Tiberghien
(Open University Press
, Philadelphia, PA
, 1985
).58.
K. C.
deBerg
, “Student understanding of the volume, mass, and pressure of air within a sealed syringe in different states of compression
,” J. Res. Sci. Teach.
32
(8
), 871
–884
(1995
).59.
A. D.
Robertson
, “An investigation of university student and K-12 teacher reasoning about key ideas in the development of the particulate nature of matter
,” University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 2011
.60.
K.
Krippendorff
, Content Analysis: An Introduction to Its Methodology
, 3rd ed. (Sage
, Thousand Oaks, CA
, 2013
).61.
P. R. L.
Heron
, “Empirical investigations of learning and teaching, part I: Examining and interpreting student thinking
,” in Proceedings of the International School of Physics "Enrico Fermi," Course CLVI
, edited by E. F.
Redish
and M.
Vicentini
(IOS Press
, Amsterdam
, 2004
).62.
D. E.
Brown
and D.
Hammer
, “Conceptual change in physics
,” in International Handbook of Research on Conceptual Change
, edited by S.
Vosniadou
(Routledge
, New York
, 2008
), pp. 127
–154
.63.
T. D.
Cook
, “Randomized experiments in educational policy research: A critical examination of the reasons the educational evaluation community has offered for not doing them
,” Educ. Eval. Policy Anal.
24
(3
), 175
–199
(2002
).64.
C. H.
Kautz
et al., “Student understanding of the ideal gas law, Part II: A microscopic perspective
,” Am. J. Phys.
73
(11
), 1064
–1071
(2005
).65.
T.
Corcoran
, F. A.
Mosher
, and A.
Rogat
, Learning Progressions in Science. A Evidence-Based Approach to Reform
(Center on Continuous Instructional Improvement, Teachers College
, Columbia University
, 2009
).66.
National Research Council
, “Learning Progressions
,” in Taking Science to School: Learning and Teaching Science in Grades K-8
, edited by R. A.
Duschl
, H. A.
Schweingruber
, and A. W.
Shouse
(National Academies Press
, Washington, DC
, 2007
), pp. 213
–250
.67.
E.
Furtak
, “Toward learning progressions as teacher development tools
,” in Learning Progressions in Science (LeaPS) Conference
(Iowa City
, IA
, 2009
).68.
I.
Salinas
, “Learning progressions in science education: Two approaches for development
,” in Learning Progressions in Science (LeaPS) Conference
(Iowa City
, IA
, 2009
).69.
T. R.
Sikorski
and D.
Hammer
, “A critique of how learning progressions research conceptualizes sophistication and progress
,” in Proceedings of the 9th International Conference of the Learning Sciences
(International Society of the Learning Sciences
, Chicago, IL
, 2010
).© 2016 American Association of Physics Teachers.
2016
American Association of Physics Teachers
AAPT members receive access to the American Journal of Physics and The Physics Teacher as a member benefit. To learn more about this member benefit and becoming an AAPT member, visit the Joining AAPT page.