Investigating the Relationship Between Students' Multiple Conceptions of Action and Reaction in Cases of Static Equilibrium

Previous research has shown that students often have multiple conceptions within any particular topic area in science, and these conceptions are usually strongly linked to specific problem situations or contexts. The aim of the present study was to investigate the nature of any possible relationship between these conceptions. A stratified sample of 53 grade 10 students was obtained, and individual interviews were used to identify their conceptions about action and reaction forces in simple instances of static equilibrium. The majority of students had a mixture of scientifically acceptable conceptions and alternative conceptions. Their explanations indicated that they were using an 'if … then' type of reasoning which linked the two conceptions.