Abstract
Developing expertise in physics entails learning to use mathematics effectively and efficiently as applied to the context of physical situations. Doing so involves coordinating a variety of concepts and skills including mathematical processing, computation, blending ancillary information with the math, and reading out physical implications from the math and vice versa. From videotaped observations of intermediate level students solving problems in groups, we note that students often "get stuck" using a limited group of skills or reasoning and fail to notice that a different set of tools (which they possess and know how to use effectively) could quickly and easily solve their problem. We refer to a student's perception/judgment of the kind of knowledge that is appropriate to bring to bear in a particular situation as epistemological framing. Although epistemological framing is often unstated (and even unconscious), in group problem solving situations students sometimes get into disagreements about how to progress. During these disagreements, they bring forth explicit reasons or warrants in support of their point of view. For the context of mathematics use in physics problem solving, we present a system for classifying physics students' warrants. This warrant analysis offers tangible evidence of their epistemological framing.
Highlights
IntroductionIt provides a language for the concise expression and application of physical laws and relations
We share a responsibility to help our students develop fluency with the mathematics of physics. What does it mean, “to become comfortable with mathematics in physics,” how would we recognize it happening in a student, and how, as instructors, can we facilitate this process? In this paper, we describe how we develop a clearer understanding of this issue by using videotaped ethnographic observations of groups of upperlevel physics students solving physics problems
Can a researcher gather evidence of how these upper-level physics students are framing their use of mathematics? How can we identify what they see as “the particular nature of the math knowledge in play”? A possible solution was suggested in our observations of students working on physics problems in groups
Summary
It provides a language for the concise expression and application of physical laws and relations. A student’s development as a physicist entails, in no small part, becoming increasingly comfortable with mathematics. We share a responsibility to help our students develop fluency with the mathematics of physics. What does it mean, “to become comfortable with mathematics in physics,” how would we recognize it happening in a student, and how, as instructors, can we facilitate this process? We describe how we develop a clearer understanding of this issue by using videotaped ethnographic observations of groups of upperlevel physics students solving physics problems What does it mean, “to become comfortable with mathematics in physics,” how would we recognize it happening in a student, and how, as instructors, can we facilitate this process? In this paper, we describe how we develop a clearer understanding of this issue by using videotaped ethnographic observations of groups of upperlevel physics students solving physics problems
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