Konzeption und Evaluation eines Kinematik/Dynamik-Lehrgangs zur ...

9 Abstract
Even after the traditional mechanics instruction in the senior classes, many students do not have any
adequate physical conceptions of the physical terms and definitions used, as well as of their coherencies.
This study therefore commences with a presentation of general aspects of students’ conceptions
(chapter 2.1) as well as precise students’ conceptions on mechanics (chapter 2.2) and relevant
teachers’ conceptions (chapter 2.3). An objective of this study was to develop an overall concept for
modified kinematics and dynamics instruction of motions in one and two dimensions in grade 11 of
grammar school, aiming at helping as many students as possible to clear as many misconceptions on
mechanics as possible. In order to achieve this goal, computer-aided experiments and the visualisation
of physical quantities with dynamic-iconic representations (see chapter 3.2) were used, among
other things, thus enabling new elementarizations as well as new teaching strategies (see chapter 9.2
or chapter 5). In order to have good chances that this concept reaches the school everyday life, it
was conceived curriculum-conformal to the Bavarian curriculum.
The first goal of the summative evaluation was to determine to what extent the entire teaching concept
can be implemented by different teachers, and how they assess said concept (see chapter 9.4 or
chapter 6.3). Subsequently, an important objective was to ascertain, by means of tests, to which
extent the students’ conceptions had changed (pre-/post-testing design), and to compare these
changes with conventionally taught classes (treatment-/control-group design) (conventional classes:
chapter 9.1; comparison: chapter 9.5; chapters 6.4 + 6.5). For that purpose, already existing paperpencil-tests
were mainly used, as a new development of tests would not have been possible in the
course of the study. These tests have various shortcomings, so several tests were used at the same
time, complementing each other.
Graphic modelling in combination with animations is part of this teaching concept. Additionally, an
own intervention study was carried out in this context (see chapter 9.3 and chapter 4).
9.1 Test results on students’ conceptions in conventionally taught classes
In the tests carried out in the course of this study it turned out – as expected – that also after the traditional
mechanics instruction in senior classes of grammar school (in Bavaria), a large proportion
of students still give answers to qualitative problems according to the common students’ conceptions
regarding the concept “acceleration” and the concept “force”, and not according to the physical
conception (chapters 6.4 to 6.6). It was furthermore demonstrated that the kind of conception
used depends on the context as well as on the type of problem, the wording of the problem, the type
of motion, and even from the direction of motion.
Even students at the beginning of 11 th grade solve 89 % of problems, in which the adequate timevelocity
graph is to be matched with described motions in one dimension, correctly (number of students
n = 373). Thus it is to question whether an intensive interpretation of velocity graphs in the
context of motions in one dimension makes sense (chapter 6.4.2.2). If the corresponding time-
acceleration graph is to be matched with described motions in one dimension, however, the situa-
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