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Physical Review Physics Education Research
written by Lana Ivanjek, Ana Susac, Maja Planinić, Zeljka Milin-Sipus, and Aneta Andrasevic
published by the American Physical Society
This study investigates university students' graph interpretation strategies and difficulties in mathematics, physics (kinematics), and contexts other than physics. Eight sets of parallel (isomorphic) mathematics, physics, and other context questions about graphs, which were developed by us, were administered to 385 first-year students at the Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb. Students were asked to provide explanations and/or mathematical procedures with their answers. Students' main strategies and difficulties identified through the analysis of those explanations and procedures are described. Student strategies of graph interpretation were found to be largely context dependent and domain specific. A small fraction of students have used the same strategy in all three domains (mathematics, physics, and other contexts) on most sets of parallel questions. Some students have shown indications of transfer of knowledge in the sense that they used techniques and strategies developed in physics for solving (or attempting to solve) other context problems. In physics, the preferred strategy was the use of formulas, which sometimes seemed to block the use of other, more productive strategies which students displayed in other domains. Students' answers indicated the presence of slope-height confusion and interval-point confusion in all three domains. Students generally better interpreted graph slope than the area under a graph, although the concept of slope still seemed to be quite vague for many. The interpretation of the concept of area under a graph needs more attention in both physics and mathematics teaching.
Physical Review Physics Education Research: Volume 12, Issue 1, Pages 010106
Subjects Levels Resource Types
Education - Basic Research
- Assessment
= Conceptual Assessment
- Learning Theory
= Transfer
- Problem Solving
= Processes
- Student Characteristics
= Ability
= Skills
General Physics
- Physics Education Research
- Graduate/Professional
- Reference Material
= Article
= Research study
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This material is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. This article is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.
Rights Holder:
Lana Ivanjek, Ana Susac, Maja Planinic, Aneta Andrasevic, and Zeljka Milin-Sipus
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.12.010106
Keywords:
area under a curve, graph, slope
Record Creator:
Metadata instance created September 28, 2016 by Lyle Barbato
Record Updated:
September 7, 2017 by Bruce Mason
Last Update
when Cataloged:
February 16, 2016
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AIP Format
L. Ivanjek, A. Susac, M. Planinić, Z. Milin-Sipus, and A. Andrasevic, , Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 12 (1), 010106 (2016), WWW Document, (https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.12.010106).
AJP/PRST-PER
L. Ivanjek, A. Susac, M. Planinić, Z. Milin-Sipus, and A. Andrasevic, Student reasoning about graphs in different contexts, Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 12 (1), 010106 (2016), <https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.12.010106>.
APA Format
Ivanjek, L., Susac, A., Planinić, M., Milin-Sipus, Z., & Andrasevic, A. (2016, February 16). Student reasoning about graphs in different contexts. Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res., 12(1), 010106. Retrieved December 6, 2024, from https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.12.010106
Chicago Format
Ivanjek, L, A. Susac, M. Planinić, Z. Milin-Sipus, and A. Andrasevic. "Student reasoning about graphs in different contexts." Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 12, no. 1, (February 16, 2016): 010106, https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.12.010106 (accessed 6 December 2024).
MLA Format
Ivanjek, Lana, Ana Susac, Maja Planinić, Zeljka Milin-Sipus, and Aneta Andrasevic. "Student reasoning about graphs in different contexts." Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 12.1 (2016): 010106. 6 Dec. 2024 <https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.12.010106>.
BibTeX Export Format
@article{ Author = "Lana Ivanjek and Ana Susac and Maja Planinić and Zeljka Milin-Sipus and Aneta Andrasevic", Title = {Student reasoning about graphs in different contexts}, Journal = {Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res.}, Volume = {12}, Number = {1}, Pages = {010106}, Month = {February}, Year = {2016} }
Refer Export Format

%A Lana Ivanjek %A Ana Susac %A Maja Planinić %A Zeljka Milin-Sipus %A Aneta Andrasevic %T Student reasoning about graphs in different contexts %J Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. %V 12 %N 1 %D February 16, 2016 %P 010106 %I American Physical Society %C College Park %U https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.12.010106 %O application/pdf

EndNote Export Format

%0 Journal Article %A Ivanjek, Lana %A Susac, Ana %A Planinić, Maja %A Milin-Sipus, Zeljka %A Andrasevic, Aneta %D February 16, 2016 %T Student reasoning about graphs in different contexts %J Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. %I American Physical Society %V 12 %N 1 %P 010106 %8 February 16, 2016 %U https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.12.010106


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