One approach to the study of cognitive processes highlights the distinctions between expert and novice problem solvers. This approach attempts to discover how experts and novices differ in the way they organize, retain and use domain related knowledge. It appears to some that what is learned from expert-novice research can help teachers to teach…

This investigation examined the relationship between problem solving ability and the criteria used to decide whether two classical mechanics problems could be solved similarly. The investigators began by comparing experts and novices on a similarity judgment task and found that experts predominantly relied on the problems' deep structure in…

Most physics problem-solving studies provide data that indicate problem representation is different between experts and novices. This paper presents "cognitive aids" guiding the process of elaboration of a problem representation through intermediate representations. Intermediate means that the representation is situated somewhere between…

Describes the nature of cognitive research. Misconceptions research in mechanics and electricity are reviewed. Research results on expert/novice differences in knowledge organization and problem solving are reviewed. Implications for classroom teaching are discussed. Lists 34 references. (YP)

Develops an experimental teaching method emphasizing the nature of functions including graphical representation in an introductory college physics course (mechanics). Examines the effects of this method on student's problem solving and attitude toward physics. (YP)

This study investigated problem solving skills in mechanics problems that required the use of diagrams. These skills were examined in two ways. First, the study examined student problem solving skills using solution scripts from the Western Australian Tertiary Admission Examination in physics. Solution attempts by students in the 1978 and 1979…

The broad focus of this study was on the role students' existing conceptions play in the process of constructing and understanding mechanics concepts. The study was a naturalistic one, conducted over a number of years, at all grade levels, in one all-boys secondary school in Australia. In particular it was concerned with identifying and…

Outlines a systematic approach to instructional design and discusses some of the cognitive and instructional issues involved in learning or teaching scientific concepts. Uses the concept of "acceleration" to illustrate the approach. Advocates the use of computers and related information technologies in concept teaching. (ML)

Analogies and examples from student's experiences are frequently cited as important to teaching conceptual material. This study was conducted in order to explore the effectiveness of an analogical teaching technique, which uses a connected sequence of "bridging" analogies, compared with a more standard teaching-by-example technique. The…

One of the clear findings of recent research on the learning of science has been that students who have completed science courses commonly use conceptions held before instruction to interpret natural phenomena. This paper reports on a study of conceptual change in mechanics with particular concern with the nature of student awareness of any…

Discusses: how thought experiments (TES) are presented and used in physics textbooks; how and why teachers include TES in their explanations; and what understandings students draw from TES. Indicates that TES are only one of a broad class of "acts of imagination" which are essential in physics education. (JN)

Presents Ausubel's theory of learning and discusses its implication for teaching physics in the classroom and some of the theory's shortcomings. (HM)

By carefully watching and listening to his students explain how they solved simple physics problems, one college instructor gained insight into how students visualize problems and developed techniques to help students change perspective more easily. Student metacognitive skills, student confidence, and student-teacher communication have also…

Provides a list of 33 problem-solving steps extracted from physics textbooks and arranged within the following 3 categories: setup, solution, and checks. (MDH)

This final report summarizes work done to formulate and test some cognitively-based principles useful for designing instruction in scientific or engineering fields. These principles stress the coherence and interpretability of the knowledge acquired by students. The principles were specifically applied to: (1) analyze the underlying knowledge and…