Students' alternative conceptions in introductory college mechanics courses

Abstract

Extensive studies over the past two decades have uncovered major misconceptions (or "alternative conceptions") of students in High School and College Physics courses. Students interpret the world and the explanations of teachers and textbook through their misconceptions which leads to misinterpretations. Both teachers and students are often unaware. Frequently such misconceptions are similar to the ideas of pre-Newtonian scientists such as Aristotle, Buridan, and even Newton himself before the publication of his Principia. For example, students have great trouble distinguishing between velocity and acceleration and thus also in distinguishing between force and momentum, just like Buridan in the 15th century. It is extremely difficult and counterintuitive for students to understand that an object with a constant velocity experiences a zero net force rather than a net force in the direction of motion. Students consider forces as properties of bodies rather than as interactions between bodies and then they let action and reaction forces cancel each other even though they work on different bodies. Studies have been conducted all around the world. However, few studies have been done in the Philippines. Therefore the purpose of this study was to make an inventory of common conceptual problems in introductory mechanics courses in selected Philippine universities.