PERC 2008 Abstract Detail Page
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| Abstract Title: | An Investigation of the Concept of Vectors with College Students in Mexico |
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| Abstract: | It has been reported that students lack conceptual understanding of vectors and consequently have difficulties performing basic operations needed in the physics curriculum. We report results of a study of conceptual understanding of vectors among college students in their first physics course in a large private university in Mexico. Students in this institution have conceptual difficulties similar to those of American students, such as identifying magnitude and direction of a vector and performing vector addition. Furthermore, Mexican students have difficulties with the multiplication of a vector by a scalar and more advanced addition/subtraction operations using that product operation even after instruction in which vectors were part of the course curriculum. This report includes a discussion of implications for instruction, preliminary results of the development of a worksheet as instructional strategy and the diagnostic test used in the study. |
| Abstract Type: | Contributed Poster |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
Genaro Zavala Tecnologico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey E. Garza Sada 2501 Monterrey, Non U.S. 64849 Phone: 528181048444 |
| Co-Author(s) and Co-Presenter(s) |
Christian A. Moran, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey |
