Brundage, Mary Jane
(2024)
Investigating and Improving Student Understanding of Mechanics, Electricity and Magnetism, Quantum Mechanics, and Thermodynamics using Conceptual Surveys.
Doctoral Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
This is the latest version of this item.
Abstract
Validated conceptual multiple-choice surveys administered before and after instruction in relevant concepts can be useful tools to gauge the effectiveness of curricula and pedagogical strategies. Here we discuss the use of four different validated surveys to investigate student understanding: The Energy and Momentum Conceptual Survey (EMCS), the Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism (CSEM), the Quantum Mechanics Formalisms and Postulates Survey (QMFPS), and the Survey of Thermodynamic Processes and First and Second Laws-Long (STPFaSL-Long). The EMCS and the CSEM were used to investigate progression in student understanding of introductory-level physics concepts by administering them to both introductory and advanced level students as a pre- and a post-test. The cross-sectional performance of students on these introductory level physics concepts reveals which concepts remain challenging for students past their first year of physics and how the most common incorrect answers may evolve on various questions from introductory to advanced levels. The QMFPS was used to investigate co-construction and construction of knowledge in advanced quantum mechanics courses. Students were asked to take the QMFPS individually and then in a group of 2-3 with no feedback on their initial performance. Co-construction occurred when all students in a group originally answered a question incorrectly on their own but answered it correctly as a group after discussion. Construction occurred when only one student answered a question correctly individually, but the group answered it correctly. By comparing construction and co-construction of knowledge, we were able to determine which concepts were difficult and which concepts were easier for students so that they could answer them correctly by working together without feedback from the instructor. Lastly, we discuss the development and validation of the STPFaSL-Long survey instrument. This survey instrument was administered as a pre- and post-test to introductory-level students, upper-division students in an upper-level thermodynamics course, and graduate students across many different universities. We discuss the context dependance of student responses along with student difficulties with thermodynamic variables and the first and second laws of thermodynamics. We used both written data and interviews from the STPFaSL survey instrument to investigate these issues.
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Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
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| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
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| ETD Committee: |
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| Date: |
27 August 2024 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
18 July 2024 |
| Approval Date: |
27 August 2024 |
| Submission Date: |
8 March 2024 |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Number of Pages: |
442 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences > Physics |
| Degree: |
PhD - Doctor of Philosophy |
| Thesis Type: |
Doctoral Dissertation |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
assessment, electricity and magnetism, energy and momentum, thermodynamics, transfer, student difficulties, introductory, upp-division |
| Date Deposited: |
27 Aug 2024 13:20 |
| Last Modified: |
27 Aug 2024 13:20 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/46813 |
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Investigating and Improving Student Understanding of Mechanics, Electricity and Magnetism, Quantum Mechanics, and Thermodynamics using Conceptual Surveys. (deposited 27 Aug 2024 13:20)
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