Teaching physics in context

Elizabeth Swinbank

Centre for Innovation and Research in Science EducationUniversity of York

UK

NZIP 2011

1 Research evidence

Summary of research evidence on context-led science teaching

2 Salters Horners Advanced Physics

A context-led course developed in the UK

Key features of the development

Some examples of activities for students

3 Responses to SHAP

Views of students and teachers

Traditional approach

Start with the physics principles Students ask ‘why are we doing this?’Later they might find out

Context-led (STS)

Start with a context (story/problem/application) Explore some relevant physics

Why use contexts?

To increase student interest and motivation

To provide a structure for teaching and learning

To develop practical and other activities

To illustrate possible career opportunities

To generate a ‘spiral curriculum’

Why use contexts?

To increase student interest and motivation

To provide a structure for teaching and learning

To develop practical and other activities

To illustrate possible career opportunities

To generate a ‘spiral curriculum’

Does it work?

The EPPI (Evidence, Policy and Practice Initiative) Reviews

(1) What evidence is there from controlled evaluation studies that context-based courses improve understanding of science ideas and the attitudes to science of 11 to 18-year-old pupils, and what are the implications of the evidence for initial teacher training courses? Bennett, J., Lubben, F. and Hogarth, S. (2003) Bringing science to life: a synthesis of the research evidence on the effects of context-based and STS approaches to science teaching. Science Education, 91 (3), 347-370.

The EPPI Reviews

Systematic map of research studies:

• Most work has taken place in the USA, the UK, the Netherlands and Canada.

• Pupils in the 11 to16 age range are the target for the majority of the interventions.

• There are comparable levels of interest in the effects of such approaches on both understanding of ideas and attitudes to science or science lessons.

• A diversity of measures are used to assess effects on understanding and attitudes.

• 26 studies have drawn on designs which use control groups.

The 2003 In-depth Review

In-depth review focused on controlled evaluation studies which reported on both understanding and attitudes.

• There is some evidence to support the claim that context-based approaches motivate pupils in their science lessons.

• There is evidence to support the claim that such approaches also foster more positive attitudes to science more generally.

• There is good evidence to support the claim that context-based approaches do not adversely affect pupils’ understanding of scientific ideas.

The EPPI Reviews: two further in-depth reviews

(2) What is the evidence from evaluative studies of the effect of context-based or STS courses on the attitude to science and/or the understanding of science ideas of boys and girls in the 11 to 16 age range?

What is the evidence from evaluative studies of the effect of context-based or STS courses on the attitude to science and/or the understanding of science ideas of lower-ability pupils in the 11 to 16 age range?

Lubben F, Bennett J, Hogarth S, Robinson A (2005) A systematic review of the effects of context-based and Science-Technology-Society (STS) approaches in the teaching of secondary science on boys and girls, and on lower-ability pupils. In: Research Evidence in Education Library. London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London.

The 2005 In-depth Reviews

The small number of studies were of variable quality. There is reasonable evidence for the following:

• Both boys and girls using a context-based/STS approach held significantly more positive attitudes to science than their male/female peers using a traditional approach.

• A context-based/STS approach to teaching science narrowed the gap between boys and girls in their attitude to science.

• In cases when boys enjoyed the materials significantly more than girls, this was due to the nature of the practical work

• In cases when girls enjoyed materials significantly more than boys, this was because of the non-practical activities.

The EPPI Reviews

To read the full reports go to

http://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/cms/

evidence library

reviews search

curriculum topics

science

NB there are many other EPPI reviews of interest!

Salters Horners Advanced Physics (SHAP)

Context-led physics for students aged 16-19

A two-year programme (4-5 hours/week) leading to university entrance qualification

Supported by published materials

Salters Horners Advanced Physics

Key features

Context led

Practical and IT activities

Scientific, mathematical and key skills

Developed by teachers, academics and industrialists

Materials for teachers, students and technicians

Extension and revision materials

On-going support for users

Developing the complete SHAP programme took two years and involved:

teachersuniversity academicsphysicists and engineers working in

industrypublishersexamination organisationssponsors

We researched a large number of contexts.

We selected 11 for further development.

Criteria for selecting contexts

interest

variety

physics content at right level

focus on 1-2 main areas of physics

activities for students

authentic data available

Principles for developing complete programme

Progression in physics

Progression in maths

Variety and choice

Activities for students

Reliability

Wider context

Progression in physics

1-3 main physics areas in each chapter

Smooth progression

Links between chapters

Be selective. Do not try to cover all the physics relating to the context.

Progression in maths

Include notes on basic maths

Develop more advanced maths where needed

Variety and choice

Offer a range of activities

Encourage teachers and students to select

Activities for students

Use contexts are starting points

Test activities to make sure they work

Use authentic data

Include simple activities

Content taught through eleven contexts

SportFood industrySpare part surgeryMusicSpace technologyArchaeologyRail transportTelecommunicationsParticle physicsBuilding designAstronomy

Good Enough to Eat

What part does physics play in making biscuits and sweets?

How is food manufacture monitored and controlled?

Eat some sweets

Describe them: hard, brittle, smooth, chewy ...

We need words with precise meaning.

We need properties we can measure.

Stretch some sweets

Plot graphs of load and extension

Apply standard materials testing techniques to sweets and biscuits

Higher, Faster, Stronger

How can athletes and coaches monitor and improve technique?

How does sports equipment and clothing affect performance?

How can sporting activities be made both exciting and safe?

Sports: sprinting, tennis, weightlifting, high-jump, climbing, bungee jumping, skiing

equations and graphs of motion vectors projectiles Newton’s laws kinetic and potential energy

use of ICT, datalogging

Bungee challenge

Set up a model bungee jump using a piece of elastic. By calculating elastic energy from a force-extension graph, you can work out the height from which an object of given mass can ‘jump’ with a given piece of elastic, so that it will just miss the floor.

The Bungee Challenge

The model bungee jumper has mass 9.1g

The elastic cord is 0.50 m long

You have a graph showing energy and extension

What is the best height for the launch platform?

Bungee challenge

Self evaluation

I/we predicted the correct height and achieved a drop that was both safe and exciting.

I/we predicted too high. The jumper complained that s/he had not been scared enough.

I/we would not be hired as bungee operators.

Model ski jump to introduce projectile motion

Technology in Space

What is the best way to provide electrical power for instruments on a space craft?

How do extremes of temperature affect electrical components?

How can position and speed be measured remotely?

32

Power supply

dc circuits

current, emf, power, resistance

internal resistance

maximum power transfer

Solar cells

photoelectric effect

radiation flux

efficiency

How do archaeologists decide where to dig?

How can specimens be examined and analysed?

Digging up the Past

An example of a context-led chapter using archaeology

We researched several areas before deciding what to include

DatingThermoluminescenceCarbon-14Tree rings

Artefact analysisX-raysMass spectrometryMicroscopySpectroscopy

Site surveyingGeomagnetic surveyResistive surveyGround-based radar

Context Physics Comments

Resistive survey of an archaeological site

DC electric circuitsResistivityModelling electrical properties Potential divider

Builds on the Space Technology chapter

X-rays in archaeology

Electromagnetic spectrumX-ray absorption and penetrationX-ray diffraction

Builds on the Space Technology and Music chaptersMicroscopes in

archaeologyResolving power and wavelengthElectron waves

This is what we chose to include

Site surveying

dc circuitsresistivity

X-ray analysis of artefacts

electromagnetic spectrumdiffraction and superposition

Microscopic analysisresolutionelectron diffraction

Archaeologists at work

detecting fakes and hoaxes

digging sensitive sites

Exploring the site

A survey reveals areas of high and low resistivity

that may indicate buried structures

SHAP students

review earlier work on dc circuits

measure resistance and resistivity

compare resistivity of various materials

display data on a log scale

use a simple theoretical model to explain resistivity

make and use potential divider circuits

discuss ethical issues about digging sensitive sites

Analysing an artefact

X-radiographs can reveal hidden features

X-ray diffraction help can identify chemical composition

SHAP students

review earlier work on electromagnetic radiation

learn about properties of X-rays

review earlier work on waves

use ripple tanks and lasers to explore diffraction and interference

learn about X-ray power photography

use X-ray data to deduce information about an artefact

Taking a closer look

Microscopes can provide useful information about very small artefacts such as clothing fibres

For some objects, such as pollen grains, electron microscopes are needed

SHAP students

measure the resolving power of their own eyes

learn how diffraction limits resolving power

review earlier work on wave-particle duality (photons, waves)

explore electron diffraction

The Medium is the Message

How is information sent, received and displayed?

Telecommunication and display

Uniform electric field Capacitors: energy Charged particles in magnetic field LED and LCD displays Power demands – environmental issues Fibre optics: exponential attenuation

Analogue and digital signals

Sampling an analogue signal

What must be the lowest sampling frequency?

What happens if the sampling frequency is too low?

Model optical fibre system

infrared emitting diode

infrared detector

jelly ‘fibre’

Plot a graph of signal strength against length of fibre.

Use the results to explore exponential change

SHAP students say

“The compact disc player, that is obviously something we use quite a lot as teenagers. You just take it out and just assume it plays. It was interesting to learn about how.”

“I do a lot of bungee jumping myself ... So when you actually do the physics of it and it is presented in a less than formal manner when the teaching starts off, then it can be quite entertaining. It was just interesting to calculate.”

“I liked the Secrets of Resistance, because the topic would mean nothing without being able to apply it to something. It made sense with this application.”

Destinations of SHAP students

Engineering 20%

Physics 12 %

Computer science 10%

Maths 10%

SHAP teachers say

“In all of our contacts with outside companies ... there has been a tremendous response in terms of wanting to help students understand physics and engineering in the real world, and to encourage students into careers in these areas.”

“Everything they have learnt so far has fallen into place and they can now explain new material for themselves.”

“This is physics in the real world, the world my students live in. It is physics which is so obviously useful and interesting.”

SHAP publications

AS (1st year)

AS Student Book ISBN 978 1 4058 9602 3

AS Teacher and Technician Resource Pack ISBN 978 1 4058 9603 0

A2 (2nd year)

A2 Student BookISBN 978 1 4082 0586 0

A2 Teacher and Technician Resource PackISBN 978 1 4082 0587 7

Go to www.amazon.com and search by ISBNor call +44 800 579579