PERC 2025 Abstract Detail Page
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| Abstract Title: | Preliminary Investigation of Equation Interpretations with Network Analysis |
|---|---|
| Abstract Type: | Contributed Poster Presentation |
| Abstract: | Physics is considered to be a challenging field of study, and one reason for this perceived difficulty is the level of mathematics required. Numerous studies have shown that while the mathematics is indeed challenging in its own right, additional challenge lies in connecting the mathematical procedures and formalism to physical systems and reasoning. Prior work has also shown that part of this challenge can be attributed to physicists thinking about mathematics very differently than those without a physics background do. This has been conceptualized as physicists developing a unique "dialect" of sorts when it comes to interpreting equations. In an effort to better understand the progression of this "physicist-like" dialect for equation interpretation, surveys asking students how they "read" standard physics equations were distributed in physics courses at various levels of the undergraduate curriculum. Preliminary network analysis-based results of responses from introductory physics courses will be shared. |
| Footnote: | This work is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DGE-2329292. |
| Session Time: | Poster Session C |
| Poster Number: | C-98 |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
William Riihiluoma North Dakota State University Fargo, ND 58108 |
| Co-Author(s) and Co-Presenter(s) |
John Buncher |
