International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Volume 3, Number 1, January 2009
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to current issues pageResearch Article
Excerpt
The Grasp of Physics Concepts of Motion: Identifying Particular
Patterns in Students' Thinking
We have investigated the grasp of some of the basic concepts
of motion by students taking the introductory physics course in Mechanics
at United Arab Emirates University (UAEU). We have developed a short
research-based multiple-choice test where we were able to extract some
information about the state of knowledge of the students. In general,
the students were found to have poor understanding. We have analyzed
the results of the test using a mathematical function, the concentration
factor, which may expose some particularly naïve models of basic
physics concepts among students and serve to identify particular patterns
in the students' thinking. Based on the outcomes and on our own experience,
we have pinpointed some possible factors for the students’ low
performance. We have also recommended several methods which might enhance
the students’ understanding of the basic physics concepts.
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Full ArticleBios
Ihab Obaidat
United Arab Emirates University
United Arab Emirates
iobaidat@uaeu.ac.ae
I am an associate professor at the Department of Physics at United Arab Emirates University. I earned a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1998, a M.S. in physics from Northeastern Illinois University in 1994, and a B.S. in physics/math from Yarmouk University (Jordan) in 1990. I mainly teach undergraduate physics courses but prefer to teach introductory physics courses for science and engineering students. My research in education focuses on the role of lecture methods in enhancing students' grasp of physics concepts.
Ehab Malkawi
United Arab Emirates University
United Arab Emirates
emalkawi@uaeu.ac.ae
Currently, I am an associate professor in the Department of Physics at United Arab Emirates University (UAEU). I received my Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Physics from Michigan State University, USA, in 1996 and 1994, respectively. I received my B.Sc. in physics from Yarmouk University (Jordan) in 1991. At UAEU I teach undergraduate physics courses and general physics courses to non-physics students. My research interest in education focuses on methods to stimulate the students’ interest in learning physics, especially for the general physics courses.