University Students Explaining Adiabatic Compression of an Ideal Gas--A New Phenomenon in Introductory Thermal Physics

Autor/inn/en	Leinonen, Risto; Asikainen, Mervi A.; Hirvonen, Pekka E.
Titel	University Students Explaining Adiabatic Compression of an Ideal Gas--A New Phenomenon in Introductory Thermal Physics
Quelle	In: Research in Science Education, 42 (2012) 6, S.1165-1182 (18 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0157-244X
DOI	10.1007/s11165-011-9239-0
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; Semi Structured Interviews; Thermodynamics; College Students; College Science; Logical Thinking; Scientific Concepts; Concept Formation; Scientific Principles; Physics + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; Thermodynamik; Collegestudent; Concept learning; Begriffsbildung; Physik
Abstract	This study focuses on second-year university students' explanations and reasoning related to adiabatic compression of an ideal gas. The phenomenon was new to the students, but it was one which they should have been capable of explaining using their previous upper secondary school knowledge. The students' explanations and reasoning were investigated with the aid of paper and pencil tests (n = 86) and semi-structured interviews (n = 5) at the start of a thermal physics course at the University of Eastern Finland. The paper and pencil test revealed that the students had difficulties in applying content taught during earlier education in a new context: only a few of them were able to produce a correct explanation for the phenomenon. A majority of the students used either explanations with invalid but physically correct models, such as the ideal gas law or a microscopic model, or erroneous dependencies between quantities. The results also indicated that students had problems in seeing deficiencies or inconsistencies in their reasoning, in both test and interview situations. We suggest in our conclusion that the contents of upper secondary school thermal physics courses should be carefully examined to locate the best emphases for different laws, principles, concepts, and models. In particular, the limitations of models should be made explicit in teaching and students should be guided towards critical scientific thinking, including metaconceptual awareness. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10