Learning Introductory Quantum Physics: Sensori‐motor experiences and mental models

This paper reports a cross‐sectional study of Taiwanese physics students’ understanding of subatomic phenomena that are explained by quantum mechanics. The study uses students’ explanations of their answers to items in a questionnaire as a proxy for students’ thinking. The variation in students’ explanations is discussed as is the development in the way in which students link different concepts. A discussion of the source of students’ ideas turns to the way schema contain mental models that derive from sensori‐experiences. The principal recommendation for teaching is the need to include practical activities on a range of precursor phenomena so as to extend the students repertoires of mental models. This advice is different from that given in previous studies.     

Choice of Reading Comprehension Test Influences the Outcomes of Genetic Analyses

Vowel representations are particularly difficult for children to learn because most vowel phonemes can be spelled in several different ways. Children in Grades 1, 2, and 3 spelled nonwords with an ambiguous vowel and reported their spelling strategies. Analysis of the children's spellings and strategy reports revealed a shift in relying solely on phonological information to considering orthographic information for making vowel letter choices. Implications for vowel spelling development are discussed.     

Gender differences in the academic career

This study examines sources of satisfaction, indicators of stress, academic performance, and reward structure in the academic careers of male and female faculty at a major midwestern state university. Faculty pairs were selected from five academic divisions. A total of 58 matched pairs were identified. Of these, 63 faculty responded, yielding data for 23 matched pairs. Subjects were mailed the Academic Career Development Survey, consisting of 144 items. Results indicated that self-reported physical and mental health, and professional and personal life satisfaction were high for both males and females. Both males and females placed high importance on their career and on marriage/other intimate relationships; however, both reported high levels of dissatisfaction with these factors. Gender differences were found in both satisfaction and type of stress reported; no gender differences were found in composite teaching and research performance indices. Salary data, obtained for 42 matched pairs, indicated similar salary levels for men and women. Results were discussed with respect to prior research on gender differences and the academic career.     

Expectations,observations, and violations: Comparing their effects on course ratings

Knowledgeable observers generally agree that students can give reasonably unbiased assessments of their classes, as long as proper instruments and procedures are used. These same observers agree, however, that more research is needed to understand the subtle dynamics which affect evaluations. Students' expectations (obtained on the first day) and the violation of these expectations are two possible factors. Their effects on students' final interest and future intentions are compared with students' actual reports of the class given at the end of the semester (n=196). Regression analysis using a simultaneous entry of expectations, expectancy violations, and final reports shows that students' reports at the end of the course account for almost all of the explained variance in the course rating items.     

The Effect of Functional Flow Diagrams on Apprentice Aircraft Mechanics' Technical System Understanding

Cognitive theory suggests that a key to expert performance lies in the internal organization of the expert's knowledge. The authors contend that the type of technical illustration used during instruction influences knowledge organization and greatly impacts students' understanding of the content. This paper describes an experimental study that tested the impact of one type of conceptual illustration on students' understanding of the structure, function, and behavior of complex technical systems. The results show that supplementing traditional technical instruction with functional flow diagrams can improve overall system understanding. The functional flow diagrams were also found to be an effective instructional aid for enhancing students' conceptual understanding of the causal behavior of systems. In addition, the use of the functional flow diagram was found to significantly improve the subjects' ability to construct conceptual models that were similar to those of an expert. The implications of using conceptual diagrams for technical instruction are discussed and recommendations for future research in this area are provided.     

Research Experience as a Component of Science and Mathematics Teacher Preparation

Journal of Science Teacher Education -     

Evaluating Classroom Assessment Training in Teacher Education Programs

What should training for teachers look like? Do our assessment practices align well with what we would like our students to do? How can you self-assess assessment training at your institution?