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

9354595 Meltzer职前教师开设的本科理科课程通常采用以教科书为中心的授课形式。有必要进行新的课程设计，以实施在最近的教育研究中发现的有益的思想。必须提供、测试和评价这些课程的试验形式，并广泛散发关于这些课程的成功和问题领域的报告。本提案旨在开展一项试点项目，开发、实施和评估一门适合职前教师的基础物理课程，该课程将体现教育理论和实践方面的一些最新创新。在需要调查的问题中，有一个问题是，为了确保学生真正学习和记住所涵盖的内容，专题报道的广度必须从标准水平上减少到什么程度。“能源”这一主题被用作一个概念支点，将各个主题联系在一起。学生对物理现象的预先或误解将指导演示、活动和讨论。在预先测试以确定学生的先入之见之后，学生将通过指导的“小型研究项目”来调查与他们先入之见有关的问题。这些项目将由学生以小组为单位进行；以每个小组的结果为中心的讨论将导致由讲师提供观点的系统总结，并与主题“能源转换和保护”的下一个主题区域联系起来。在课程交付期间，持续的测试和其他评估将指导主题报道的节奏和深度。目标读者是未来的小学和中学教师，以及其他非技术学生。该项目有可能显著提高那些对大学物理科学的典型体验往往是枯燥无味的人对物理的知识和态度。

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.