Papers by Antti Savinainen
The Effect of Using a Visual Representation Tool in a Teaching-Learning Sequence for Teaching Newton’s Third Law
Research in Science Education, Sep 7, 2015
This paper presents a research-based teaching-learning sequence (TLS) that focuses on the notion ... more This paper presents a research-based teaching-learning sequence (TLS) that focuses on the notion of interaction in teaching Newton’s third law (N3 law) which is, as earlier studies have shown, a challenging topic for students to learn. The TLS made systematic use of a visual representation tool—an interaction diagram (ID)—highlighting interactions between objects and addressing the learning demand related to N3 law. This approach had been successful in enhancing students’ understanding of N3 law in pilot studies conducted by teacher-researchers. However, it was unclear whether teachers, who have neither been involved with the research nor received intensive tutoring, could replicate the positive results in ordinary school settings. To address this question, we present an empirical study conducted in 10 Finnish upper secondary schools with students (n = 261, aged 16) taking their mandatory physics course. The study design involved three groups: the heavy ID group (the TLS with seven to eight exercises on IDs), the light ID group (two to three exercises on IDs) and the no ID group (no exercises on IDs). The heavy and light ID groups answered eight ID questions, and all the students answered four questions on N3 law after teaching the force concept. The findings clearly suggest that systematic use of the IDs in teaching the force concept significantly fostered students’ understanding of N3 law even with teachers who have no intensive tutoring or research background.
Tieteessä tapahtuu, Oct 25, 2011
Science Education, 2005
This paper offers an account of, and findings from, an approach to designing and evaluating an in... more This paper offers an account of, and findings from, an approach to designing and evaluating an instructional sequence set in the context of Newton's third law. The design of the sequence draws upon conceptual change theory and the concept of the "bridging analogy" is extended to introduce the notion of a "bridging representation." Attention is also given in the instructional design to the proposed social interactions between teacher and students as the teaching and learning activities are played out or "staged" in the classroom. A range of instruments is used to measure the extent of student learning, and evidence is presented to indicate that the designed sequence leads to enhanced learning gains when compared to those achieved with an equivalent group of students. Although set in the context of teaching and learning about mechanics a number of general points are made in relation to both instructional design and perspectives on conceptual change.
Teaching and evaluation materials utilizing multiple representations in mechanics
Physics Education, Apr 19, 2013
ABSTRACT In this paper, we present materials and teaching ideas utilizing multiple representation... more ABSTRACT In this paper, we present materials and teaching ideas utilizing multiple representations in the contexts of kinematics and the force concept. These ideas and materials are substantiated by evidence and can be readily used in teaching with no special training. In addition, we briefly discuss two multiple-choice tests based on physics education research which can be used to gauge students' ability to use multiple representations.
The Force Concept Inventory: a tool for monitoring student learning
Physics Education, 2002
... The Force Concept Inventory: a tool for monitoring student learning Antti Savinainen1 and Phi... more ... The Force Concept Inventory: a tool for monitoring student learning Antti Savinainen1 and Philip Scott2 ... Traditional courses fail to convey much basic conceptual understanding of Newtonian mechanics to the average student. Interactive Engagement courses can ...
Nordic Studies in Science Education, Nov 1, 2005
This study consists of a theoretical and an empirical part. The theoretical research aims were to... more This study consists of a theoretical and an empirical part. The theoretical research aims were to characterise students' conceptual coherence of qualitative knowledge in the case of the force concept, and how it can be evaluated. Students' conceptual coherence can be divided into three aspects: representational coherence, which is the ability to use multiple representations and move between them; contextual coherence, i.e. the ability to apply concepts in a variety of contexts (familiar and novel), and conceptual framework coherence, which addresses the relationsintegration and differentiation-between relevant concepts. Certain groupings of the Force Concept Inventory (FCI), the Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation (FMCE), and the Test for Understanding Graphs-Kinematics (TUG-K) questions were used to probe students' contextual and representational coherence of the force concept. Written extended response questions and interviews were also used in addition to multiple choice tests to provide complementary data. The empirical part of this dissertation consists of designing a teaching approach (Interactive Conceptual Instruction (ICI)) and teaching sequences for kinematics and the force concept. The ICI approach involves several features or components: conceptual focus (concepts are introduced and rehearsed before quantitative problem solving), the use of multiple representations in varying contexts, classroom interactions (peer instruction), research-based materials, use of texts (reading before formal treatment), and concept maps. The teaching sequence for the force concept emphasises forces as interactions. An empirical study was conducted to test the effectiveness of the ICI teaching. The study involved two pilot and two study groups in Kuopio Lyseo High School: Preparatory International Baccalaureate (Pre-IB) students (age 16; n pilot = 22 and n study = 23) and Finnish National Syllabus students (age 17; n pilot = 52 and n study = 49). The pilot groups followed the ICI approach without a focus on forces as interactions whereas the study groups followed the ICI approach with a focus on forces as interactions. The study groups were taught to think of forces as interactions through the systematic use of a modified version of the 'Symbolic Representation of Interactions', which provided a bridging representation to more abstract free-body diagrams. Otherwise, introductory mechanics was taught in a similar manner to the pilot and study groups (i.e., the same teacherauthor AS-taught all the groups using the same textbooks, with generally similar exercises and activies, and the same ICI approach). Average normalized gain (Hake gain) and effect size were used as measures of the practical significance of the overall FCI results. Hake gains for the pilot and study groups fall in the middle or upper end of the 'medium gain region' (0.3 < (<g>) <0.7): they were between 0.45 and 0.59. The effect sizes were well above the 'high boundary of 0.8': they were between 1.1. and 2.6. These indices show that the effect of both types of ICI teaching had practical significance at least as measured by the overall FCI results. The most impressive conceptual gains were made in Newton's first law in verbal representation, Newton's third law in verbal representation, and contact force in verbal representation. In almost all these cases Hake gains were above 0.50 and effect sizes above Author's Contribution Articles I and II These two articles were written at the University of Leeds, UK, while on a Marie Curie Fellowship. I worked closely with Dr. Philip Scott who was my advisor in Leeds. I gathered and analysed the data and wrote most of the text in these two articles, while Dr. Scott provided guidance regarding the content and structure. He polished the style and wrote some parts of the text. Articles III and IV I gathered and analysed the data for these two conference articles and wrote most of the text. Dr. Jouni Viiri provided guidance regarding the content and structure of the articles. He also duplicated the interview data analysis to provide an investigator triangulation. Article V I gathered and analysed the data for this manuscript. I wrote several versions of the text, which were commented on and partially rewritten by Dr. Scott and Dr. Viiri. Their collaboration was so extensive that we decided on joint authorship, which is why our names are in alphabetical order. coherence. Dimension Representation Context Questions Verbal 1 Sled 2, 5 Newton's First law Verbal to Graphical 2 Car 14,
Gender Differences in Learning of the Concept of Force, Representational Consistency, and Scientific Reasoning
International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, Sep 29, 2012
ABSTRACT This quantitative case study used a pre- and posttest design for exploring the gender di... more ABSTRACT This quantitative case study used a pre- and posttest design for exploring the gender differences in secondary school students’ (n = 131, 45 males and 86 females) learning of the force concept when an interactive engagement type of teaching was used. In addition, students’ ability to interpret multiple representations (i.e., representational consistency) was documented by a pre- and posttest and scientific reasoning ability by a pretest only. Males significantly outperformed females in learning of the force concept, pre- and posttest representational consistency, and pretest scientific reasoning. However, the gender difference in learning of the force concept was not significant when ANCOVA was conducted using pretest results of representational consistency and scientific reasoning as covariates. This appeared to indicate that the gender difference in learning gain was related to students’ abilities before the instruction. Thus, the teaching method used was equally effective for both genders. Further, our quantitative finding about the relation between representational consistency and learning of the force concept supports the assumption that multiple representations are important in science learning.
Physics Education, 2002
This is the second of two papers focusing on the Force Concept Inventory, a multiple-choice test ... more This is the second of two papers focusing on the Force Concept Inventory, a multiple-choice test designed to monitor students' understanding of force and related kinematics. In this paper we outline how the FCI was used to evaluate student learning following a newly developed approach to teaching mechanics in a Finnish upper secondary school. We believe that this case offers a compelling example of the benefits (in terms of enhanced student learning) that can follow from research-or evidence-based approaches to teaching.
Learning About Forces Using Multiple Representations
Models in modeling in science education, 2017
We present two research-based interventions to measure upper secondary student learning of forces... more We present two research-based interventions to measure upper secondary student learning of forces using multiple representations (MRs). The first intervention is the Representational Variant of the Force Concept Inventory (R-FCI) – a multiple-choice test for evaluating students’ representational consistency in answering triplets of isomorphic items in the context of forces. The second intervention is an interaction diagram (ID) – a visual representation that helps students to identify forces resulting from interactions between two objects. Students’ representational consistency on the R-FCI pre-test correlated with their normalised learning gain on the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) suggesting that students representational skills before the intervention were related to their conceptions of forces. The interaction diagram (ID) for indentifying relevant interactions and constructing a corresponding free-body diagram (FBD) involved different instruction groups –– called heavy ID, light ID and no ID – depending on the extent that IDs were utilised in teaching. The heavy ID groups outperformed the light ID and the no ID groups in identifying forces and constructing the correct FBDs. In addition, the heavy ID groups learned Newton’s third law better than the other ID groups. Our studies provide further evidence of the benefits of MRs in learning the concept of force.
International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, Oct 11, 2007
he teaches in both the National Curriculum and the International Baccalaureate Program. His docto... more he teaches in both the National Curriculum and the International Baccalaureate Program. His doctoral studies dealt with students' conceptual coherence in the case of the force concept. He is continuing his studies and acts as a supervisor in close cooperation with Professor Jouni Viiri.
Latin-American Journal of Physics Education, 2008
Teaching-learning sequences (TLS) for science teaching have been designed for over two decades an... more Teaching-learning sequences (TLS) for science teaching have been designed for over two decades and there is a growing interest in them amongst the science education community. Several theoretical frameworks have been utilized in designing TLSs. In this paper we outline two such frameworks: learning demand and educational reconstruction. We compare the learning demand and the educational reconstruction frameworks, present some concrete examples from two studies where these frameworks have been used, and present some general recommendations for developing TLSs.
Nucleation and Atmospheric Aerosols, 2004
This paper presents a method to evaluate students' representational coherence, i.e. their ability... more This paper presents a method to evaluate students' representational coherence, i.e. their ability to use multiple representations and move between them in the case of Newton's first and second laws. Results of five high school students are discussed.
Comment on ‘The effects of students' reasoning abilities on conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills in introductory mechanics’
European Journal of Physics, Jul 8, 2008
ABSTRACT In a recent article, Ates and Cataloglu (2007 Eur. J. Phys. 28 1161–71), in analysing re... more ABSTRACT In a recent article, Ates and Cataloglu (2007 Eur. J. Phys. 28 1161–71), in analysing results for a course in introductory mechanics for prospective science teachers, found no statistically significant correlation between students&#39; pre-instruction scores on the Lawson classroom test of scientific reasoning ability (CTSR) and post-instruction scores on the force concept inventory (FCI). As a possible explanation, the authors suggest that the FCI does not probe for skills required to determine reasoning abilities. Our previously published research directly contradicts the authors&#39; finding. We summarize our research and present a likely explanation for their observation of no correlation.
The Physics Teacher, Dec 1, 2016
T he ray tracing method is widely used in teaching geometrical optics at the upper secondary and ... more T he ray tracing method is widely used in teaching geometrical optics at the upper secondary and university levels. However, using simple and straightforward examples may lead to a situation in which students use the model of ray tracing too narrowly. Previous studies show that students seem to use the ray tracing method too concretely instead of as a conceptual model. 1-3 This suggests that introductory physics students need to understand the nature of the ray model more profoundly. In this paper, we show how a virtual ray tracing model can be used as a tool for image formation in more complex and unconventional cases. We believe that this tool has potential in helping students to better appreciate the nature of the ray model.
Learning About Forces Using Multiple Representations
Models and Modeling in Science Education, 2017
We present two research-based interventions to measure upper secondary student learning of forces... more We present two research-based interventions to measure upper secondary student learning of forces using multiple representations (MRs). The first intervention is the Representational Variant of the Force Concept Inventory (R-FCI) – a multiple-choice test for evaluating students’ representational consistency in answering triplets of isomorphic items in the context of forces. The second intervention is an interaction diagram (ID) – a visual representation that helps students to identify forces resulting from interactions between two objects. Students’ representational consistency on the R-FCI pre-test correlated with their normalised learning gain on the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) suggesting that students representational skills before the intervention were related to their conceptions of forces. The interaction diagram (ID) for indentifying relevant interactions and constructing a corresponding free-body diagram (FBD) involved different instruction groups –– called heavy ID, light ID and no ID – depending on the extent that IDs were utilised in teaching. The heavy ID groups outperformed the light ID and the no ID groups in identifying forces and constructing the correct FBDs. In addition, the heavy ID groups learned Newton’s third law better than the other ID groups. Our studies provide further evidence of the benefits of MRs in learning the concept of force.
Students' concept of force: the importance of understanding Newton's third law
Teaching methods in science
How Finns Learn Mathematics and Science, 2007
Learning About Forces Using Multiple Representations
We present two research-based interventions to measure upper secondary student learning of forces... more We present two research-based interventions to measure upper secondary student learning of forces using multiple representations (MRs). The first intervention is the Representational Variant of the Force Concept Inventory (R-FCI) – a multiple-choice test for evaluating students’ representational consistency in answering triplets of isomorphic items in the context of forces. The second intervention is an interaction diagram (ID) – a visual representation that helps students to identify forces resulting from interactions between two objects. Students’ representational consistency on the R-FCI pre-test correlated with their normalised learning gain on the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) suggesting that students representational skills before the intervention were related to their conceptions of forces. The interaction diagram (ID) for indentifying relevant interactions and constructing a corresponding free-body diagram (FBD) involved different instruction groups –– called heavy ID, light...
AIP Conference Proceedings, 2007
We present the Representation Test derived from the FCI for evaluating students' representational... more We present the Representation Test derived from the FCI for evaluating students' representational coherence on some aspects of gravitation and Newton's third law. The test consists of 23 questions addressing verbal, graphical, bar chart, and vectorial representations. Matched high school student data (n = 54) on the pre-and post-test are analyzed in terms of representational coherence and scientific correctness.
GIREP-EPEC 2011 …, 2011
Many studies show that students have difficulties with Newton's third law (N3 law). In this s... more Many studies show that students have difficulties with Newton's third law (N3 law). In this study we investigated the use of Interaction Diagrams (ID; a visualizable tool for identifying and representing interactions between objects) in fostering students' understanding of N3 ...
Uploads
Papers by Antti Savinainen