Abstract
This article presents a case study that examines the level of integration of mathematical knowledge in physics problem solving among first grade students of upper secondary school. We explore the ways in which two specific students utilize their knowledge and we attempt to identify the epistemological framings they refer to while solving a physics problem. Participant observation was used for data collection, and the students’ verbal interactions were video-recorded. The analysis shows that they tend to use a wide spectrum of epistemological framings that entangle mathematics and physics but at the same time face significant practical difficulties in modulating the two subjects.
RéSumé
Cet article présente une étude de cas qui analyse le niveau d’intégration des savoirs mathématiques appliqués à la résolution de problèmes de physique chez des élèves en première année du deuxième cycle au secondaire. Nous nous penchons sur les façons dont deux étudiants en particulier se servent de leurs connaissances et nous tentons de déterminer les cadres épistémologiques auxquels ils font référence pour la résolution d’un problème de physique. Nous avons observé les participants pour recueillir les données, et filmé sur vidéo leurs interactions verbales. L’analyse montre qu’ils utilisent un large éventail de cadres épistémologiques qui mélangent les mathématiques et la physique, mais aussi qu’ils font face à de sérieuses difficultés d’ordre pratique lorsqu’il s’agit de moduler les deux sujets.
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Meli, K., Zacharos, K. & Koliopoulos, D. The Integration of Mathematics in Physics Problem Solving: A Case Study of Greek Upper Secondary School Students. Can J Sci Math Techn 16, 48–63 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1080/14926156.2015.1119335
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14926156.2015.1119335