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Coordination of Mathematics and Physical Resources by Physics Graduate Students
written by Ayush Gupta, Edward F. Redish, and David Hammer
We investigate the dynamics of how graduate students coordinate their mathematics and physics knowledge within the context of solving a homework problem for a plasma physics survey course. Students were asked to obtain the complex dielectric function for a plasma with a specified distribution function and find the roots of that expression. While all the 16 participating students obtained the dielectric function correctly in one of two equivalent expressions, roughly half of them (7 of 16) failed to compute the roots correctly. All seven took the same initial step that led them to the incorrect answer. We note a perfect correlation between the specific expression of dielectric function obtained and the student's success in solving for the roots. We analyze student responses in terms of a resources framework and suggest routes for future research.
Physics Education Research Conference 2007
Part of the PER Conference series
Greensboro, NC: August 1-2, 2007
Volume 951, Pages 104-107
Subjects Levels Resource Types
Education Foundations
- Cognition
= Cognition Development
Education Practices
- Active Learning
= Problem Solving
Other Sciences
- Mathematics
- Graduate/Professional
- Reference Material
= Research study
Intended Users Formats Ratings
- Researchers
- application/pdf
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Mirror:
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2820906
Access Rights:
Limited free access and
Available by subscription and
Available for purchase
Restriction:
© 2007 2007 American Institute of Physics.
DOI:
10.1063/1.2820906
NSF Numbers:
0440113
0524987
0524595
PACSs:
01.40.Fk
01.40.Ha
01.30.mm
Keywords:
PERC 2007, coordination of knowledge, dielectric function, education, mathematics, physics, problem solving
Record Cloner:
Metadata instance created June 8, 2009 by Jenny Rempel
Record Updated:
July 16, 2013 by Lyle Barbato
Last Update
when Cataloged:
November 12, 2007
Other Collections:

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Record Link
AIP Format
A. Gupta, E. Redish, and D. Hammer, , presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2007, Greensboro, NC, 2007, WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9071&DocID=1988).
AJP/PRST-PER
A. Gupta, E. Redish, and D. Hammer, Coordination of Mathematics and Physical Resources by Physics Graduate Students, presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2007, Greensboro, NC, 2007, <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9071&DocID=1988>.
APA Format
Gupta, A., Redish, E., & Hammer, D. (2007, August 1-2). Coordination of Mathematics and Physical Resources by Physics Graduate Students. Paper presented at Physics Education Research Conference 2007, Greensboro, NC. Retrieved May 19, 2024, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9071&DocID=1988
Chicago Format
Gupta, A, E. Redish, and D. Hammer. "Coordination of Mathematics and Physical Resources by Physics Graduate Students." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2007, Greensboro, NC, August 1-2, 2007. https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9071&DocID=1988 (accessed 19 May 2024).
MLA Format
Gupta, Ayush, Edward F. Redish, and David Hammer. "Coordination of Mathematics and Physical Resources by Physics Graduate Students." Physics Education Research Conference 2007. Greensboro, NC: 2007. 104-107 Vol. 951 of PER Conference. 19 May 2024 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9071&DocID=1988>.
BibTeX Export Format
@inproceedings{ Author = "Ayush Gupta and Edward F. Redish and David Hammer", Title = {Coordination of Mathematics and Physical Resources by Physics Graduate Students}, BookTitle = {Physics Education Research Conference 2007}, Pages = {104-107}, Address = {Greensboro, NC}, Series = {PER Conference}, Volume = {951}, Month = {August 1-2}, Year = {2007} }
Refer Export Format

%A Ayush Gupta %A Edward F. Redish %A David Hammer %T Coordination of Mathematics and Physical Resources by Physics Graduate Students %S PER Conference %V 951 %D August 1-2 2007 %P 104-107 %C Greensboro, NC %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9071&DocID=1988 %O Physics Education Research Conference 2007 %O August 1-2 %O application/pdf

EndNote Export Format

%0 Conference Proceedings %A Gupta, Ayush %A Redish, Edward F. %A Hammer, David %D August 1-2 2007 %T Coordination of Mathematics and Physical Resources by Physics Graduate Students %B Physics Education Research Conference 2007 %C Greensboro, NC %V 951 %P 104-107 %S PER Conference %8 August 1-2 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9071&DocID=1988


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