Students' context-sensitive use of two kinds of conceptual resources for mechanical wave reflection
In this paper, we refine and substantiate an initial observation that different styles of conceptual physics questions (i.e., questions that ask students to explain a phenomenon versus questions that ask students to predict an outcome and explain their reasoning) elicit different kinds of conceptual resources in students' responses. We analyze the responses that students from three universities gave to written questions about reflection of mechanical pulses. Some responses draw on rules, principles, or procedures; other responses use ideas about force, energy, and motion to reason about wave phenomena. In this preliminary study, we investigate the frequency of each kind of response. We find that a question which asks students to predict the outcome of an experiment regarding mechanical wave reflection more commonly elicits ideas about rules, principles, and procedures, while a question that describes the outcome of a wave propagation experiment and asks students to explain the phenomenon more commonly elicits ideas about forces, energy, and motion.
Physics Education Research Conference 2019
Part of the PER Conference series Provo, UT: July 24-25, 2019 Pages 184-189
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![]() <a href="https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=15274">Goodhew, L, A. Robertson, P. Heron, and R. Scherr. "Students' context-sensitive use of two kinds of conceptual resources for mechanical wave reflection." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2019, Provo, UT, July 24-25, 2019.</a>
![]() L. Goodhew, A. Robertson, P. Heron, and R. Scherr, , presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2019, Provo, UT, 2019, WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=15274&DocID=5185).
![]() L. Goodhew, A. Robertson, P. Heron, and R. Scherr, Students' context-sensitive use of two kinds of conceptual resources for mechanical wave reflection, presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2019, Provo, UT, 2019, <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=15274&DocID=5185>.
![]() Goodhew, L., Robertson, A., Heron, P., & Scherr, R. (2019, July 24-25). Students' context-sensitive use of two kinds of conceptual resources for mechanical wave reflection. Paper presented at Physics Education Research Conference 2019, Provo, UT. Retrieved May 1, 2025, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=15274&DocID=5185
![]() Goodhew, L, A. Robertson, P. Heron, and R. Scherr. "Students' context-sensitive use of two kinds of conceptual resources for mechanical wave reflection." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2019, Provo, UT, July 24-25, 2019. https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=15274&DocID=5185 (accessed 1 May 2025).
![]() Goodhew, Lisa M., Amy Robertson, Paula R. L. Heron, and Rachel Scherr. "Students' context-sensitive use of two kinds of conceptual resources for mechanical wave reflection." Physics Education Research Conference 2019. Provo, UT: 2019. 184-189 of PER Conference. 1 May 2025 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=15274&DocID=5185>.
![]() @inproceedings{
Author = "Lisa M. Goodhew and Amy Robertson and Paula R. L. Heron and Rachel Scherr",
Title = {Students' context-sensitive use of two kinds of conceptual resources for mechanical wave reflection},
BookTitle = {Physics Education Research Conference 2019},
Pages = {184-189},
Address = {Provo, UT},
Series = {PER Conference},
Month = {July 24-25},
Year = {2019}
}
![]() %A Lisa M. Goodhew %A Amy Robertson %A Paula R. L. Heron %A Rachel Scherr %T Students' context-sensitive use of two kinds of conceptual resources for mechanical wave reflection %S PER Conference %D July 24-25 2019 %P 184-189 %C Provo, UT %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=15274&DocID=5185 %O Physics Education Research Conference 2019 %O July 24-25 %O application/pdf ![]() %0 Conference Proceedings %A Goodhew, Lisa M. %A Robertson, Amy %A Heron, Paula R. L. %A Scherr, Rachel %D July 24-25 2019 %T Students' context-sensitive use of two kinds of conceptual resources for mechanical wave reflection %B Physics Education Research Conference 2019 %C Provo, UT %P 184-189 %S PER Conference %8 July 24-25 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=15274&DocID=5185 Disclaimer: ComPADRE offers citation styles as a guide only. We cannot offer interpretations about citations as this is an automated procedure. Please refer to the style manuals in the Citation Source Information area for clarifications.
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