Introductory Physics: A Pilot Project for an Elementary Course based on Guided inquiry,with the Theme of "Energy"

小行星9354595 本科科学课程所采取的兼职教师通常有教科书为中心的讲座格式。有必要进行新的课程设计，实施在最近的教育研究中发现有益的想法。必须提供、测试和评估这些课程的试验形式，并广泛传播关于这些课程的成功和问题领域的报告，本建议是关于一个试验项目，以开发、实施和评估一门适合兼职教师的基础物理课程，这门课程将体现教育理论和实践方面的一些最新创新。在需要研究的问题中，有一个问题是，为了确保学生能够真正学到并记住所涵盖的内容，主题的覆盖范围必须从标准水平减少到什么程度。“能源”主题被用作将各个主题联系在一起的概念支点。学生对物理现象的前/误解将指导演示，活动和讨论。在预先测试以确定学生的先入之见后，学生将通过指导性的“小型研究项目”调查与他们先入之见相关的问题。这些项目将由学生以小组形式进行;围绕每个小组的结果进行讨论，由讲师进行系统总结，提供观点，并以“能源转换和保护”为主题与下一个主题领域联系起来。“在课程进行期间，持续的测试和其他评估将指导主题报道的节奏和深度，目标受众是未来的中小学教师和其他非技术学生。该项目有可能显着提高知识和态度对物理学的一部分，其典型的经验与大学物理科学往往是distateful和非生产性的。

9354595 Meltzer Undergraduate science courses taken by preservice teachers typically have textbook-centered lecture formats. There is a need for new course designs which implement ideas found beneficial in recent educational research. It is essential that pilot forms of the courses be offered, tested and evaluated, and that reports of the successes and problem areas of such courses be widely disseminated.This proposal is for a pilot project to develop, implement, and assess an elementary physics course, appropriate for preservice teachers, which would embody a number of the recent innovations in educational theory and practice. Among the problems which need to be investigated is the question of just how severely the breadth of topical coverage will have to be reduced from standard levels, in order to ensure that what is covered is actually learned and retained by the students.The theme of "energy" is used as a conceptual pivot to tie together the various topics. Students' pre/misconceptions regarding physical phenomena will guide the presentation, activities, and discussion. After pretesting to determine student preconceptions, issues related to their preconceived ideas will be investigated by the students through guided "mini-research-projects." These projects will be carried out by the students working in small groups; discussions centered around each group's results will lead to a systematic summing-up by the instructor to provide perspective, and tie into the next topical area with the thread of the theme "energy transformation and conservation." During course delivery, ongoing testing and other assessment will guide the pacing and depth of the topical coverage.The target audience is prospective elementary and middle-school teachers, and other non-technical students. The project has the potential to significantly improve the knowledge of and attitude towards physics on the part of those whose typical experience with college physical science tends to be dist asteful and nonproductive.