Abstract
In this research, the negative perceptions of undergraduate students regarding modern physics course and the causes of their negative perceptions have been investigated. For this investigation, a qualitative and quantitative method (mix method) was chosen for data collection and analysis. The study group of the research consists of a total of 169 (21-25 years old) undergraduate students studying at a state university in Turkey. Focus group interview, repertory grid technique and individual interview were used for gathering data. According to results, seven negative perceptions were determined regarding the modern physics course and four main themes were specified the causes of negative perceptions of students related to modern physics.
Highlights
Physics is a branch of a particular discipline trying to explain everything about nature from micro to macro, living to nonliving with the help of mathematical contents, theories and rules (Hallaun & Hestenes, 1985a)
They have considered this prior knowledge related to the course as an outcome of the experiences that students had in their daily lives, and they have suggested that these experiences have caused some misconceptions, creation of a number of alternative concepts and some prior information that can be considered scientifically incorrect
Some other reasons causing the perception of visualization difficulty are as follows; the curriculum which cannot trigger the imagination of the students, incapability of the textbooks in terms of establishing the relationship between modern physics and daily life and the lack of visualizations
Summary
Physics is a branch of a particular discipline trying to explain everything about nature from micro to macro, living to nonliving with the help of mathematical contents, theories and rules (Hallaun & Hestenes, 1985a). In the early 1980s, Trowbridge and McDermott (1980), Viennot and Rozier (1994) and some other researchers (Hallaun & Hestenes, 1985b; Clement, 1982) have determined that the students come to physics class with some prior knowledge and intuitions. They have considered this prior knowledge related to the course as an outcome of the experiences that students had in their daily lives, and they have suggested that these experiences have caused some misconceptions, creation of a number of alternative concepts and some prior information that can be considered scientifically incorrect
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