THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STUDENTS’ ATTAINMENT IN GENERAL PHYSICS COURSE AND THEIR PRE-COURSE PREPARATION
Journal Title: ФІЗИКО-МАТЕМАТИЧНА ОСВІТА - Year 2018, Vol 17, Issue 3
Abstract
This article presents a study of the students’ achievement in the US university course of General Physics and their background, namely experience in studying physics in school (in US school physics is commonly a section within a general Physical Science course; time interval between previous and current courses; and taking prerequisite courses required for taking physics – usually a few mathematics courses. The study was performed at National University, San Diego, California, USA. A specifics of instruction at this university is a one-month course format, when students take a semester course within four weeks, which is achieved through concentration of class hours during this time period. A student can take only one course at a time. This format is convenient particularly for working adult students. The difficulty of teaching physics in such course format is explained by a number of factors, among which uneven student preparation in physics, which may be connected to various time intervals between a previous and current courses which may lead to forgetting the material, some overestimation of their preparation to physics course by students, and insufficient quality of student learning outcomes in the prerequisite course to the physics course requirements. The data presented in the article were obtained by surveying students and analyzing the results of two tests they take in the course: mid-term and final. We did a comparative investigation of two specializations, electrical engineers and biologists. This study demonstrated that students who had never taken physics earn 1.5-2 times more unsatisfactory grades than those who had taken it before. The course outcomes are also affected by the time interval between school graduation and the beginning of the physics course; especially significant is the interval of 10 years or more. Based on the data obtained we made conclusions and developed practical recommendations for the instructors.
Authors and Affiliations
N. Serdyukova
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP423932
- DOI 10.31110/2413-1571-2018-017-3-001
- Views 133
- Downloads 0
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