Student views of macroscopic and microscopic energy in physics and biology
written by
Benjamin W. Dreyfus, Edward F. Redish, and Jessica Watkins
Energy concepts are fundamental across the sciences, yet these concepts can be fragmented along disciplinary boundaries, rather than integrated into a coherent whole. To teach physics effectively to biology students, we need to understand students' disciplinary perspectives. We present interview data from an undergraduate student who displays multiple stances towards the concept of energy. At times he views energy in macroscopic contexts as a separate entity from energy in microscopic (particularly biological) contexts, while at other times he uses macroscopic physics phenomena as productive analogies for understanding energy in the microscopic biological context, and he reasons about energy transformations between the microscopic and macroscopic scales. This case study displays preliminary evidence for the context dependence of students' ability to translate energy concepts across scientific disciplines. This points to challenges that must be taken into account in developing curricula for biology students that integrate physics and biology concepts.
Physics Education Research Conference 2011
Part of the PER Conference series
Omaha, Nebraska: August 3-4, 2011
Volume 1413, Pages 179-182
<a href="https://www.per-central.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=11841">Dreyfus, B, E. Redish, and J. Watkins. "Student views of macroscopic and microscopic energy in physics and biology." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2011, Omaha, Nebraska, August 3-4, 2011.</a>
B. Dreyfus, E. Redish, and J. Watkins, , presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2011, Omaha, Nebraska, 2011, WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=11841&DocID=2692).
B. Dreyfus, E. Redish, and J. Watkins, Student views of macroscopic and microscopic energy in physics and biology, presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2011, Omaha, Nebraska, 2011, <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=11841&DocID=2692>.
Dreyfus, B., Redish, E., & Watkins, J. (2011, August 3-4). Student views of macroscopic and microscopic energy in physics and biology. Paper presented at Physics Education Research Conference 2011, Omaha, Nebraska. Retrieved May 9, 2025, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=11841&DocID=2692
Dreyfus, B, E. Redish, and J. Watkins. "Student views of macroscopic and microscopic energy in physics and biology." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2011, Omaha, Nebraska, August 3-4, 2011. https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=11841&DocID=2692 (accessed 9 May 2025).
Dreyfus, Benjamin, Edward F. Redish, and Jessica Watkins. "Student views of macroscopic and microscopic energy in physics and biology." Physics Education Research Conference 2011. Omaha, Nebraska: 2011. 179-182 Vol. 1413 of PER Conference. 9 May 2025 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=11841&DocID=2692>.
@inproceedings{
Author = "Benjamin Dreyfus and Edward F. Redish and Jessica Watkins",
Title = {Student views of macroscopic and microscopic energy in physics and biology},
BookTitle = {Physics Education Research Conference 2011},
Pages = {179-182},
Address = {Omaha, Nebraska},
Series = {PER Conference},
Volume = {1413},
Month = {August 3-4},
Year = {2011}
}
%A Benjamin Dreyfus %A Edward F. Redish %A Jessica Watkins %T Student views of macroscopic and microscopic energy in physics and biology %S PER Conference %V 1413 %D August 3-4 2011 %P 179-182 %C Omaha, Nebraska %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=11841&DocID=2692 %O Physics Education Research Conference 2011 %O August 3-4 %O application/pdf
%0 Conference Proceedings %A Dreyfus, Benjamin %A Redish, Edward F. %A Watkins, Jessica %D August 3-4 2011 %T Student views of macroscopic and microscopic energy in physics and biology %B Physics Education Research Conference 2011 %C Omaha, Nebraska %V 1413 %P 179-182 %S PER Conference %8 August 3-4 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=11841&DocID=2692
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