Re: Research on Physics First

Some blog followers might be interested in a post "Re: Research on Physics First" [Hake (2010)]. The abstract reads:

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ABSTRACT: Mike Gallagher of the Physics First discussion list wrote: "When someone asks for research in support of physics first, where do you point them. I have heard that there hasn't really been a quality project evaluating the impact."

Carl Martikean responded: "The quantitative studies available, with one exception, do not address how well freshmen learn physics," but has not posted his references.

I refer to some research on Physics First, some of which does address how well students learn physics, in "Re: "Physics First Revisited" [Hake (2009)] online on the OPEN! Phys-L archives at http://bit.ly/baO9Hr .

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To access the complete 11 kB post please click on http://bit.ly/910rxH.

Richard Hake, Emeritus Professor of Physics, Indiana University

Honorary Member, Curmudgeon Lodge of Deventer, The Netherlands

President, PEdants for Definitive Academic References which Recognize the

Invention of the Internet (PEDARRII)

rrhake@earthlink.net

http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake

http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~sdi

http://HakesEdStuff.blogspot.com

http://iub.academia.edu/RichardHake

"The three-year sequence must include a lot of process in addition to content. How does science work? How did we discover some of these things? Why is science such a universal culture? How do the traits of skepticism, curiosity, openness to new ideas, and the joy of discovering the beauty of nature affect the process of science? Long after all the formulas, Latin words, and theories are forgotten, the process will be remembered. The goal of teachers using the new curriculum would be to produce high-school graduates who will be comfortable with a scientific way of thinking."

Leon Lederman (2001)

REFERENCES [All URL's shortened by http://bit.ly/ and accessed on 14 November 2010.]

Hake, R.R. 2010. Re: Research on Physics First online on the OPEN AERA-L archives at http://bit.ly/910rxH. Post of 4 Nov 2010 12:15:24 -0800 to

AERA-L, Net-Gold, and Physics First. The abstract and link to the complete post are being transmitted to various discussion lists.

Lederman, L. 2001. "Revolution in Science Education: Put Physics First." Physics Today 54(9): 11-12, September; online at http://bit.ly/anddW1 .