Effect of a programmable calculator physics laboratory unit upon some attitudes to physics held by student science teachers

Abstract

There is no doubt that computers of various degrees of complexity are finding application in a huge number of fields. Not only people such as scientists who use computers feel the impact of the expansion of their use. Members of the general public are forming attitudes towards computer use, as they receive communications such as accounts, which are prepared with computer assistance. It was felt, therefore, that teachers of school physics should have experience with elementary applications and programming of computers. Their attitudes to computer use, and those which may be transmitted by them may thus be based, to a greater degree, upon personal experience. It was also expected that such experience would have desirable effects upon the students' attitude to physics. This expectation is based upon personal experience of the author with computers and programmable calculators, as well as upon reports which frequently occur in the relevant literature. These reports of subjectively evaluated increases in enthusiasm during courses involving introduction to computer use, are referred to later in this paper. It was decided therefore, that a five-week experimental physics laboratory unit involving the skill of writing programmes for a programmable calculator, should be devised to form part of the first year physics course for student science teachers at NewCastle C.A.E. Apart from the desire to generate favourable attitudes to physics through stimulation of enthusiasm, there existed independently the desire to introduce students to some possible applications that computers could have in physics teaching. Sandery (1974) maintains that the only truly effective way to promote computer awareness is to have students use computers. He also points out that, if in addition to developing a balanced attitude towards computers, one can also use them to aid the students' understanding in science, then there is all the more reason for using them. Shirer (1973), reports that in America, the Committee of Physics in Two-Year Colleges has approved by unanimous ballot the following position statement concerning the use of computers in physics teaching: