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Asia-Pacific
Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 6, Issue 2, Article 7
(Dec., 2005) Tin -Lam TOH On in-service Mathematics teachers' content knowledge on kinematics
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Asia-Pacific
Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 6, Issue 2, Article 7
(Dec., 2005) Tin -Lam TOH On in-service Mathematics teachers' content knowledge on kinematics
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Discussion
Elementary Conceptual Difference between Vector Quantity and Scalar Quantity:
From the high percentage of correct response of Question 13, it can be seen that practically all the teachers in the survey know the difference between vector and scalar quantities. This is understandable as in the Mathematics curriculum, students need to be aware of the existence of both the vector and the scalar quantities. In fact, Vectors is one chapter of the Mathematics syllabus.
Knowledge of Kinematics in Two-Dimensions:
It could be seen from Table 3 that Questions 1, 2 and 12 have the highest percentage of wrong response. It is clear from the participating teachers'response that they did not have sound generalized kinematics concepts involving particles moving in more than one dimension. In the case of uniform motion (along a fixed direction), the teachers equated zero acceleration with having constant speed. This was erroneously generalized to motion in two dimensions.
Thus, it can be concluded that most of the participants' concepts of kinematics is strictly restricted to one-dimensional motion which might be wrongly generalized to two dimensional motions. Thus, the Mathematics teachers need to build up on their foundation in the general concepts of kinematics.
Knowledge of Kinematics in One-Dimensional Motion:
Sign of Acceleration for one-dimensional Motion. From the response to Question 5 of Table 3, it can be seen that there is a rather high percentage of about eighty-eight percent of wrong responses of participants, who thought that positive acceleration implies increasing speed, without knowing that the sign of the acceleration is a matter of the convention taken in each situation.
Signs of Displacement and Velocity one-dimensional Motion: From the highest percentage of correct response for Questions 7, 8, 9 and 10, it is clearly suggestive that teachers have fairly clear knowledge of the significance of positive/negative signs of displacement and velocity for particles moving along one-dimension.
Copyright (C) 2005 HKIEd APFSLT. Volume 6, Issue 2, Article 7 (Dec., 2005). All Rights Reserved
