Introductory College Physics students’ pre conceptual ideas on measurement

Abstract

This paper reports the result of a preliminary study on the pre-conceptual understanding on measurement and uncertainty of physics students (n = 102) enrolled in an algebra – based physics at the University of the Philippines Los Banos. All the students included in this study have never taken any college level physics prior to the conduct of the study. Using the Physics Measurement Questionnaires (PMQ1), this study evaluates the pre- conceptual understanding of the students, based on point and interval paradigm, on the following areas of measurement: single analogue and digital measurement, reason for repeating measurement, and data set processing and on the nature of measurement. This study finds that students, who are entering their first physics course, have different view on the ideas of measurement with majority subscribing to the belief that measurement is a deterministic process rather than probabilistic. The result of the study can be helpful in developing curriculum intended for physics laboratory instruction.