dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaThe challenge of changing deeply-held student beliefs about the relativity of simultaneity
| Authors | Rachel E. Scherr, Peter S. Shaffer, Stamatis Vokos |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/0207081 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0207081 |
| DOI | 10.1119/1.1509420 |
Abstract
Previous research indicates that after standard instruction students at all academic levels often construct a conceptual framework in which the ideas of absolute simultaneity and the relativity of simultaneity co-exist. This article describes the development and assessment of instructional materials intended to improve student understanding of the concept of time in special relativity, the relativity of simultaneity, and the role of observers in inertial reference frames. Results from pretests and post-tests are presented to demonstrate the effect of the curriculum in helping students deepen their understanding of these topics. Excerpts from taped interviews and classroom interactions help illustrate the intense cognitive conflict that students encounter as they are led to confront the incompatibility of their deeply-held beliefs about simultaneity with the results of special relativity.
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"abstract": "Previous research indicates that after standard instruction students at all\nacademic levels often construct a conceptual framework in which the ideas of\nabsolute simultaneity and the relativity of simultaneity co-exist. This article\ndescribes the development and assessment of instructional materials intended to\nimprove student understanding of the concept of time in special relativity, the\nrelativity of simultaneity, and the role of observers in inertial reference\nframes. Results from pretests and post-tests are presented to demonstrate the\neffect of the curriculum in helping students deepen their understanding of\nthese topics. Excerpts from taped interviews and classroom interactions help\nillustrate the intense cognitive conflict that students encounter as they are\nled to confront the incompatibility of their deeply-held beliefs about\nsimultaneity with the results of special relativity.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/0207081",
"authors": [
"Rachel E. Scherr",
"Peter S. Shaffer",
"Stamatis Vokos"
],
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"physics.ed-ph"
],
"doi": "10.1119/1.1509420",
"title": "The challenge of changing deeply-held student beliefs about the relativity of simultaneity",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0207081"
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