Learners Beliefs and Conception About the Role of Mathematics in Physics
CHAPTER ONE
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
This study was conducted with the following objectives:
- To explore the role of mathematics for physics teaching and learning in upper-secondary school through investigating relations made during physics lessons.
- To find out conceptions students hold about the nature of mathematics and attitude towards physics in the federal collage of education Zaria, Kaduna state?
- To find out if the effective teaching of mathematics, mathematical concepts and reasoning used impacts and inspire students during physics lessons.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
INTRODUCTION
This chapter reviews the literature on the impact of social media on students’ academic performance among senior secondary school students. It discusses issues arising from the topic of interest as viewed from different perspectives, with a view of giving a theoretical and empirical foundation to the study.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Previous research on the role of mathematics in physics can be classified by the various methods employed by researchers to probe how students use mathematics in physics. Four, sometimes overlapping, approaches have emerged, which will be succinctly categorized in this paper as (i) observational approach, (ii) modeling approach, (iii) mathematics knowledge structure, and (iv) general knowledge structure. In the observational approach, researchers observe the mistakes that students make when using mathematics in physics and attempt to explain these observations without explicit reference to the students’ knowledge structure or cognitive state. The modeling approach generally starts by observing the difference between experts and novices when using mathematics in physics, and then proceeds by constructing computer models that mimic the respective performances of the two groups. The mathematics knowledge structure program posits theoretical cognitive structures that are specifically implicated when using mathematics. As the name suggests general knowledge structure is similar to mathematics knowledge structure, but the former employs a broader, more general approach. The general knowledge structure program posits the existence of various kinds of cognitive constructs to understand the structure of concepts in general, not restricting the focus to simply concepts in mathematics.
An investigation on the role of mathematics in physics requires an understanding of what it means to “use mathematics in physics”. For the sake of this review, the “use of mathematics in physics” will simply mean any time students invoke ideas from mathematics—such as equations, graphs, etc.— to help them understand the physics. This definition is sufficiently broad to span the various levels of detail that have been investigated in the research literature on mathematics learning and physics learning. The main body of this paper discusses the four approaches employed to understand students’ use of mathematics in physics, with a separate section dedicated to each approach. The penultimate section offers a brief discussion about how these different approaches fit together in a coherent whole. The final section proposes future work to be done that will contribute to this field.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The researcher used descriptive research survey design in building up this project work the choice of this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The design was suitable for the study as the study sought to a critical analysis of learners’ beliefs and conception about the role of mathematics in physics using the Federal college of education zaria, in Kaduna state as the case study.
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
(i)Primary source and
(ii)Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment; the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
Population of the study
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in getting information a critical analysis of learners beliefs and conception about the role of mathematics in physics. 200 students of the Federal college of education zaria were selected randomly by the researcher as the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
DATA ANALYSIS
The data collected from the respondents were analyzed in tabular form with simple percentage for easy understanding.
A total of 133(one hundred and thirty three) questionnaires were distributed and 133 questionnaires were returned.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain a critical analysis of learners’ beliefs and conceptions about the role of mathematics in physics.
In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations are made, which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefit in addressing the challenges of learners beliefs and conceptions about the role of mathematics in physics
Summary
This study aimed at having a critical analysis of learners’ beliefs and conceptions about the role of mathematics in physics. Three objectives were raised. These objectives include: To explore the role of mathematics for physics teaching and learning in upper-secondary school through investigating relations made during physics lessons. To find out conceptions students hold about the nature of mathematics and attitude towards physics in the federal collage of education Zaria, Kaduna state? To find out if the effective teaching of mathematics, mathematical concepts and reasoning used impacts and inspire students during physics lessons.
Conclusion and recommendations
Based on the above findings pertaining to the objectives of the study the following conclusions are drawn. From the collected and analysed data, it can be concluded that Mathematical concept of students affects their expectations of and attitudes to physics effective teaching of mathematics, mathematical concepts and reasoning impacts and inspire students in physics.
REFERENCES
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- Blanco, L. & Garrotte, M. (2007). Difficulties in learning inequalities in students of the first year of pre-university education in Spain. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 3, 221-229.
