Presentation
Investigating Student Understanding of Control of Variables
Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society
(2007)
Abstract
The concept of control of variables is fundamental to science. A practical understanding is especially important for science teachers, who must help students design experiments and learn to interpret the results. Findings from an extended study of student and teacher facility with the reasoning underlying control of variables will be reported. This research has involved precollege science teachers, liberal arts physics students, calculus-based introductory physics students, and college science faculty. The results suggest that while most participants are familiar with the idea of controlled experiments, many lack functional skill with the underlying reasoning. Results from interviews and written questions will be used to illustrate specific difficulties.
Disciplines
Publication Date
January 1, 2007
Location
2007 AAS/AAPT Joint Meeting; Seattle, WA
Citation Information
Andrew Boudreaux, Paula R. L. Heron and Peter S. Shaffer. "Investigating Student Understanding of Control of Variables" Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society (2007) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/andrew_boudreaux/25/