Abstract
Establishing the connection between the scientific experiment and theory may pose quite a challenge for learners. Analyzing and interpreting data, they collect in the experiments, helps to bridge the gap between the experiment's results and the theoretical world. The present research examines the barriers pre-service physics teachers confront with when dealing with data analysis tasks in the introductory physics laboratory. Identifying pre-service physics teachers' misconceptions is very important because the future teachers can transfer them to their students. The novelty of this research is not only in identifying the physics teacher's trainee's misconceptions analyzing data in the introductory physics laboratory, but also in explaining the reasons for them. 25 pre-service physics teachers who had undergone several laboratory courses participated in this study. For examining their knowledge level and identifying their difficulties in data analysis, the Laboratory Data Analysis Instrument (LDAI) was used. The results revealed that the participants evidenced a sixty-nine percent overall average of correct answers. The various misconceptions the pre-service physics teachers encountered in each of the instrument objectives are identified and discussed. Dealing with multiple representations and the use of intuitive rules can explain some of the difficulties. The identification of the data analysis difficulties can be employed by educators attempting to construct more efficient learning environments.
Highlights
The physics laboratory is essential studying physics on different levels
Data analysis process is crucially needed in the effort of bridging the gap between the data, collected in the experiments conducted in the laboratory, and the physics theories learned in the physics classes
Identifying pre-service physics teachers' misconceptions is very important because the future teachers can transfer them to their students while their intuitive conceptions overshadow their pedagogical content knowledge (Gvozdic & Sander, 2018)
Summary
The physics laboratory is essential studying physics on different levels. In order to extract meaning from experimental laboratory data and build scientific explanations based on it, understanding of analyzing experimental data, both on conceptual and procedural levels, is important (Bowen & Roth, 2005; Rollnick, Zwane, Staskun, Lotz & Green, 2001). In spite the fact that data analysis is important and students in the physics' laboratory need to possess the appropriate relevant skills, according to the literature, data analysis in the physics' laboratory pose a challenge for students (e.g. Allie at al., 2003; Eshach & Kukliansky, 2016; Kung, 2005; Pillay, Buffler, Allie & Lubben, 2008). These skills include considering errors and uncertainties as well as graphing skills such as choosing the appropriate graph to present data, calculating and adding error bars and regression lines, and understanding scientific information from the graph (Eshach & Kukliansky, 2016). Pre-service physics teachers' are expected to be proficient in content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge, and in pedagogical content knowledge (Etkina, 2010) meaning that they are required to know the required http://aes.julypress.com
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