Understanding and affecting student reasoning about sound waves

• Published in: International journal of science education Vol. 25; no. 8; pp. 991 - 1013
• Main Author: Wittmann, Michael
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Taylor & Francis Group 01.08.2003; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Acoustics; Concept Formation; Cooperative Learning; Curriculum subjects: programmes and methods; Educational sciences; Exact and natural sciences; Gruppenarbeit; Higher Education; Instructional Materials; Lernmaterial; Lernprozess; Physics; Schallwelle; Science Curriculum; Science Instruction; Teaching methods; USA; Physical Science; Conceptualization; University; Reasoning
• ISSN: 0950-0693; 1464-5289
• DOI: 10.1080/09500690305024

Student learning of sound waves can be helped through the creation of group-learning classroom materials whose development and design rely on explicit investigations into student understanding. We describe reasoning in terms of sets of resources, i.e. grouped building blocks of thinking that are commonly used in many different settings. Students in our university physics classes often used sets of resources that were different from the ones we wish them to use. By designing curriculum materials that ask students to think about the physics from a different view, we bring about improvement in student understanding of sound waves. Our curriculum modifications are specific to our own classes, but our description of student learning is more generally useful for teachers. We describe how students can use multiple sets of resources in their thinking, and raise questions that should be considered by both instructors and researchers.