PERC 2019 Abstract Detail Page
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| Abstract Title: | Prevalence of Impetus-Force-Like Drawings Among Contemporary University Physics Students |
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| Abstract: | Decades ago, one of the most salient and commonly reported force ideas in the literature was the notion of an "impetus force" – the "belief that there is a force inside a moving object that keeps it going and causes it to have some speed" (Clement, 1983). Such beliefs were reported to be extremely widespread. For example, Clement (1982) reported that nearly 75% of the students in his sample drew an upward arrow, indicative of a "throw" force, in the direction of motion of a tossed object after it has left a person's hand. In a recent study, we asked the same questions as in earlier studies and found that the prevalence of impetus-force-like ideas both varies substantially across samples and is consistently lower than what is reported in earlier work. In this poster, we will share our data and propose hypotheses about why this might be the case, including the influence of research-based instructional strategies. Please come and suggest your own interpretations! |
| Abstract Type: | Contributed Poster Presentation |
| Session Time: | Poster Session II |
| Poster Number: | B39 |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
Amy D. Robertson Seattle Pacific University |
| Co-Author(s) and Co-Presenter(s) |
Paula R. L. Heron (University of Washington), Lisa M. Goodhew (University of Washington), Rachel E. Scherr (University of Washington) |
