Potvin P, Chastenay P, Thibault F, Riopel M, Ahr E, Brault Foisy LM. An understanding of falling bodies across schooling and experience based on the conceptual prevalence framework.
DISCIPLINARY AND INTERDISCIPLINARY SCIENCE EDUCATION RESEARCH 2023;
5:8. [PMID:
37305217 PMCID:
PMC10249391 DOI:
10.1186/s43031-023-00075-4]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In this article, we describe a study conducted online with 953 participants of varying levels of education and, when applicable, science/physics teaching experience. These participants were asked to solve a cognitive task in which many different pairs of objects were presented and to identify which, if any, would touch the ground first when dropped (in atmospheric or non-atmospheric environments). Recorded accuracies and response times allowed us to conduct an analysis based on the conceptual prevalence framework, which posits that the coexistence of conceptual and/or misconceptual resources can produce interference in response production. The results show that the influence of some of them decreases or, more surprisingly, increases with training. In fact, secondary and college physics teachers seem to cultivate some of them, and most likely have contributed to their spread. The implications for teaching and research are discussed.
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