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Teacher and Curriculum Factors that Influence Middle School Students' Sense-Making Discussions of Force/Motion
written by
Cody Sandifer
This study investigated small-group discussions in an inquiry-based middle school science classroom. The purpose of the study was to determine the teacher and curriculum factors that provide support (or not) for students' sense-making discussions. To do this, two student groups were videotaped as they participated in force/motion activities. Analysis revealed that focused "sense-making activities", free-body diagrams, energy diagrams, and related real-world activities produced deeper student understanding.
This item is available cost-free as a pdf file.
Physics Education Research Conference 2004
Part of the PER Conference series
Sacramento, California: August 4-5, 2004
Volume 790, Pages 141-144
6-8: 4F/M3a. An unbalanced force acting on an object changes its speed or direction of motion, or both.
9-12: 4F/H8. Any object maintains a constant speed and direction of motion unless an unbalanced outside force acts on it.
9. The Mathematical World
9B. Symbolic Relationships
9-12: 9B/H4. Tables, graphs, and symbols are alternative ways of representing data and relationships that can be translated from one to another.
Common Core State Standards for Mathematics Alignments
Expressions and Equations (6-8)
Understand the connections between proportional relationships,
lines, and linear equations. (8)
8.EE.5 Graph proportional relationships, interpreting the unit rate as the slope of the graph. Compare two different proportional relationships represented in different ways.
Functions (8)
Use functions to model relationships between quantities. (8)
8.F.5 Describe qualitatively the functional relationship between two quantities by analyzing a graph (e.g., where the function is increasing or decreasing, linear or nonlinear). Sketch a graph that exhibits the qualitative features of a function that has been described verbally.
High School — Functions (9-12)
Linear, Quadratic, and Exponential Models? (9-12)
F-LE.1.b Recognize situations in which one quantity changes at a constant rate per unit interval relative to another.
F-LE.1.c Recognize situations in which a quantity grows or decays by a constant percent rate per unit interval relative to another.
Units (1)
This resource is part of a Physics Front Topical Unit.
Topic: Kinematics: The Physics of Motion Unit Title: Velocity and Acceleration
In this study, students in an inquiry-based classroom were videotaped to detect how they made sense of concepts relating to force and motion. The analysis revealed that focused "sense-making activities", free-body diagrams, energy diagrams, and related real-world activities produced deeper student understanding. Free download
<a href="https://www.compadre.org/precollege/items/detail.cfm?ID=9553">Sandifer, Cody. "Teacher and Curriculum Factors that Influence Middle School Students' Sense-Making Discussions of Force/Motion." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2004, Sacramento, California, August 4-5, 2004.</a>
C. Sandifer, , presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2004, Sacramento, California, 2004, WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9553&DocID=2774).
C. Sandifer, Teacher and Curriculum Factors that Influence Middle School Students' Sense-Making Discussions of Force/Motion, presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2004, Sacramento, California, 2004, <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9553&DocID=2774>.
Sandifer, C. (2004, August 4-5). Teacher and Curriculum Factors that Influence Middle School Students' Sense-Making Discussions of Force/Motion. Paper presented at Physics Education Research Conference 2004, Sacramento, California. Retrieved April 3, 2025, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9553&DocID=2774
Sandifer, Cody. "Teacher and Curriculum Factors that Influence Middle School Students' Sense-Making Discussions of Force/Motion." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2004, Sacramento, California, August 4-5, 2004. https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9553&DocID=2774 (accessed 3 April 2025).
Sandifer, Cody. "Teacher and Curriculum Factors that Influence Middle School Students' Sense-Making Discussions of Force/Motion." Physics Education Research Conference 2004. Sacramento, California: 2004. 141-144 Vol. 790 of PER Conference. 3 Apr. 2025 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9553&DocID=2774>.
%A Cody Sandifer %T Teacher and Curriculum Factors that Influence Middle School Students' Sense-Making Discussions of Force/Motion %S PER Conference %V 790 %D August 4-5 2004 %P 141-144 %C Sacramento, California %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9553&DocID=2774 %O Physics Education Research Conference 2004 %O August 4-5 %O application/pdf
%0 Conference Proceedings %A Sandifer, Cody %D August 4-5 2004 %T Teacher and Curriculum Factors that Influence Middle School Students' Sense-Making Discussions of Force/Motion %B Physics Education Research Conference 2004 %C Sacramento, California %V 790 %P 141-144 %S PER Conference %8 August 4-5 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9553&DocID=2774
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