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Between the poles: Locating physics majors in the expert-novice continuum
written by Elizabeth Gire
Expert-novice comparisons have been a productive research tool for investigating many aspects of physics education, including physics conceptions, views about physics, and problem solving activities. These comparisons have typically focused on differences between introductory physics students and physics professor. This thesis examines undergraduate physics majors, who have an intermediate amount of experience studying physics. Known expert-novice distinctions are used to characterize physics majors' views about science and problem solving activities. Views about science are measured with the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey. Follow- up interviews allowed students to elaborate on their responses to the survey and informed the interpretation of the survey data. During the interviews, students were asked to solve two physics problems. The students' approaches to these problems and their problem solving heuristics are characterized using a scheme developed from known expert-novice differences. It was found that undergraduate physics majors' have many views and problem solving abilities that are similar to those of experts. The implications for teaching physics and physics education research are discussed.

Editor's Note: See the Mirror link under "Item Details" below to access this dissertation in the UC-San Diego eScholarship database.
University: University of California, San Diego
Academic Department:  Physics
Pages 198
Subjects Levels Resource Types
Education Foundations
- Alternative Conceptions
- Assessment
= Conceptual Assessment
- Problem Solving
= Expert-Novice Comparisons
= Frameworks
= Heuristics
= Processes
- Research Design & Methodology
= Data
= Evaluation
- Student Characteristics
= Affect
General Physics
- Scientific Reasoning
Other Sciences
- Engineering
- Upper Undergraduate
- Reference Material
= Thesis/Dissertation
Intended Users Formats Ratings
- Researchers
- Professional/Practitioners
- Administrators
- Educators
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Mirror:
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/…
Access Rights:
Free access
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© 2007 Gire, Elizabeth E.
Type:
Ph.D.
Keywords:
CLASS survey, learning attitudes, physics identity
Record Creator:
Metadata instance created June 28, 2023 by Caroline Hall
Record Updated:
June 28, 2023 by Caroline Hall
Last Update
when Cataloged:
January 1, 2007
Other Collections:

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Record Link
AIP Format
E. Gire, , Ph.D., University of California, San Diego, 2007, WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=16501&DocID=5716).
AJP/PRST-PER
E. Gire, Between the poles: Locating physics majors in the expert-novice continuum, Ph.D., University of California, San Diego, 2007, <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=16501&DocID=5716>.
APA Format
Gire, E. (2007, January 1). Between the poles: Locating physics majors in the expert-novice continuum (Ph.D., University of California, San Diego, 2007). Retrieved May 3, 2025, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=16501&DocID=5716
Chicago Format
Gire, Elizabeth. "Between the poles: Locating physics majors in the expert-novice continuum." Ph.D., University of California, San Diego, 2007. https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=16501&DocID=5716 (accessed 3 May 2025).
MLA Format
Gire, Elizabeth. "Between the poles: Locating physics majors in the expert-novice continuum." Ph.D.. 1 Jan. 2007. University of California, San Diego, 2007. 3 May 2025 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=16501&DocID=5716>.
BibTeX Export Format
@phdthesis{ Author = "Elizabeth Gire", Title = {Between the poles: Locating physics majors in the expert-novice continuum}, School = {University of California, San Diego}, Type = {Ph.D.}, Month = {January}, Year = {2007} }
Refer Export Format

%A Elizabeth Gire %T Between the poles: Locating physics majors in the expert-novice continuum %R Ph.D. %D January 1, 2007 %P 198 %I University of California, San Diego %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=16501&DocID=5716 %O Physics %O application/pdf %O Ph.D.

EndNote Export Format

%0 Thesis %A Gire, Elizabeth %D January 1, 2007 %T Between the poles: Locating physics majors in the expert-novice continuum %B Physics %I University of California, San Diego %P 198 %8 January 1, 2007 %9 Ph.D. %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=16501&DocID=5716


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