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Teaching and Learning Physics suit of projects
The following suit of projects have been concerned with the teaching and learning of physics at the tertiary, secondary (Years 7-12) and primary levels (Years K-6). A teaching and learning procedure, called a Conceptual Understanding Procedure (CUP), was developed and used during some of these projects, and has now been used by many teachers.
- Monash Conceptual Understanding Programme (MCUP): 1996
This developed a teaching procedure called a CUP (Conceptual Understanding Procedure) which involved cooperative learning and which was used to engage first year university students in thinking about physics concepts during weekly one-hour small classes.
The MCUP team comprised:
Dr David Mills and Ms Susan Feteris, Department of Physics, now School of Physics and Mr Brian McKittrick and Dr Pam Mulhall, Faculty of Education.
- Schools' Conceptual Understanding Project (SCUP): 1997
This investigated the use of CUPs designed for the year 11 level in secondary schools.
The SCUP research team comprised:
Professor Dick Gunstone, Dr Pam Mulhall and Mr Brian McKittrick, Faculty of Education.
The SCUP development teachers were:
Ms Caroline Brown (Genazzano FCJ College, Kew) and Mr Chris McGuire (Parkdale Secondary College, East Mordialloc).
- Understanding Physics Project (UPP): 1998 - 2000
This explored the learning consequences of teaching which focussed on developing students' conceptual understanding in the mechanics and electricity components of a year 11 physics course. The study compared the learning in classes where the teachers emphasised qualitative understanding of concepts with classes taught by teachers who used a more traditional approach.
The UPP research team comprised:
Professor Dick Gunstone, Dr Pam Mulhall and Mr Brian McKittrick, Faculty of Education,
Mrs Helen McDonald [Oct 1999 - Feb 2000] and
Dr Jenni Case (now at Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Cape Town) [April - Dec 2000].
- Teaching Electricity Project (TEP): 2001 - 2003
This is exploring the range of models/ analogies/ metaphors considered suitable for the teaching and learning of electricity at each level of education (ie primary through to tertiary) and the understandings of concepts which are considered appropriate at these levels by teachers, academics and text books authors.
The TEP research team comprises:
Professor Dick Gunstone, Dr Pam Mulhall and Mr Brian McKittrick, Faculty of Education
- Monash Conceptual Understanding Programme (MCUP) [1996]
Mills, D., McKittrick, B., Mulhall, P., & Feteris, S. (1999). CUP: cooperative learning that works. Physics Education, 34(1), 1-5.(View - authcate required)
McKittrick, B. & Mulhall, P. (1997). Cooperative learning strategies to improve conceptual understanding in physics. In CONASTA 46 (Conference of Australian Science Teachers Association) Science Down Under - Extending the Boundaries: Conference proceedings [CD-ROM] pp 354-7.
- Schools' Conceptual Understanding Project (SCUP) [1997]
Gunstone, R., McKittrick, B., & Mulhall, P. (1999). Structured cognitive discussions in senior high school physics: student and teacher perceptions. Research in Science Education, 29(4), 527-546.(View)
McKittrick, B., Mulhall, P., & Gunstone, R. (1999). Improving understanding in physics: An effective teaching procedure. Australian Science Teachers' Journal, 45(3), 27-33. (View)
- Understanding Physics Project (UPP) [1998-2000]
Data still being processed.
Papers to date:
Gunstone, R., McKittrick, B., Mulhall, P., & Case, J. (2001). The complexity of explanations in electricity. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Australasian Science Education Research Association, July, 2001, Sydney, Australia.
Mulhall, P., McKittrick, B., & Gunstone, R. (2001). A perspective on the resolutions of confusions in the teaching of electricity. Research in Science Education, 31(4), 575-587.
Useful resources for teaching for understanding
- Baird, J. R., & Northfield, J. R. (Eds.). (1992). Learning from the PEEL Experience. Melbourne: Faculty of Education, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.
- Elterman, E., Mulhall, P., Gunstone, R., White, R., Berreen, T., Field, B., Hadgraft, R., Hewitt, D., & Ng, K. (1995). The Monash Handbook of Assessment: Science and Engineering - Alternative forms of assessment tasks in tertiary Science and Engineering. Melbourne: Faculty of Education, Monash University. (Available from R. Gunstone, Faculty of Education, Monash University.)
- Fensham, P., Gunstone, R., & White, R. (Eds.). (1994). The Content of Science. London: The Falmer Press.
- White, R., & Gunstone, R. (1992). Probing Understanding. London: The Falmer Press.
- White, R., Gunstone, R., Eltermann, E., Macdonald, I., McKittrick, B., Mills, D., & Mulhall, P. (1995). Students' perceptions of teaching and learning in first-year university physics. Research in Science Education, 25, 465-478.
- White, R. T. (1988). Learning science. Oxford: Blackwell.
For further information or comments related to this suit of projects please contact Dick Gunstone.
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