Based on an analysis of structured interviews with 6 research university physics faculty members, this paper presents our initial hypothesis of instructors' beliefs about how their students learn to solve problems in an introductory physics courses. The hypothesis shows that these instructors have very general beliefs about the process of student…

The presentation of physics content knowledge in conjunction with the lack of examples in solving problems leads high school students to struggle with mathematical problem solving in physics courses. This paper explains the importance and necessity of having mathematical courses for all high school students. (YDS)

This roster contains detailed data from the annual Survey of Enrollments and Degrees conducted in the 2000-2001 academic year, which contacted all degree-granting physics departments in the United States. Of the 770 degree-granting physics departments, 751 (98%) contributed to the data on 1999-2000 introductory course enrollments, 1999-2000…

This book attempts to create a model of the nature of knowledge and its evolution. Scholarly research has been used for this purpose. Chapters include: (1) "The Nature of Knowledge"; (2) "The Nature of Scientific Progress"; (3) "Truth and Falsifiability"; (4) "The Problem with Experimental Observations"; (5) "Scientific Reductionism"; (6) "An…

This paper introduces issues related to the role of intuitive knowledge in physics learning. Phenomenological primitives, which form the base level for intuitive explanations in the research, are discussed. Three primary questions are the focus of this paper: (1) What role, if any, does intuitive knowledge play in physics problem solving? (2) How…

Discusses new problems arising from the growing observational data through radio telescope arrays, involving the origin of radio sources, apparent superluminal velocities, conversion of radio sources to relativistic particles, and the nature of compact opaque and extended transparent sources. New physics may be needed to answer these cosmological…

For the study of electric circuits, slides are projected on a blackboard and students are asked to chalk in wires between the members of the projected circuit. (JH)

Brief descriptions are presented of 40 demonstrations and laboratory experiments in electrodynamics, complementing the ninth grade physics text. (Author/JH)

SPIN coverage is abnormally low, only 70 journals, versus the coverage of information services in other fields. Every journal listed by SPIN is selectively covered by CAS, resulting in a 76 percent overlap. (3 references) (Author/SJ)

Utilization of simple experiments to illustrate a few aspects of physics in which sampling plays a crucial role. (DF)

The art of deriving information about an object from the radiation it scatters was once limited to visible light. Now due to new techniques, much of the modern physical science research utilizes radiation scattering. (DF)

Develops formulas for the number of bounces of a ball on a billiard table given an original path-angle. (MM)

Importance of distinguishing clearly between wave velocity and group velocity is discussed. Examples are used to elucidate both concepts. (DF)