SOCS-C Arons writes of dynamics and new preconceptions students bring to class. I read about cautions in defining force and mass and guess I understand that these words are not used in the first chapters of a physics book. But can we really not rely on something being taught in the middle school? (Arons)
Your comment " But can we really not rely on something being taught in the middle school?"
ReplyDeleteWe really CANNOT rely on something taught in middle school for a couple of reasons. 1 students in middle school operate at the concrete operational level and can't get abstract concepts just due to their age and developmental level. 2 unless the middle school teachers are using a constructivist model they are defining these properties which only reinforces the students non-Newtonian views. FCI scores for kids coming into my class right out of middle school are still between 6 and 8 out of 30 regardless of whether they had physics in 8th grade or not!