Science and engineering students’ difficulties in understanding vector concepts

Saed Sabah

doi:10.29333/ejmste/13431

Full Text (PDF)

Saed Sabah ¹ ^*

More Detail

¹ Department of Teaching and Curriculum, Faculty of Educational Sciences, The Hashemite University, P.O. Box 330127, Zarqa 13133, JORDAN^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

The study assesses science and engineering students’ difficulties in understanding vector concepts. Test of understanding of vectors was administered to 101 university students who were completing their second introductory physics course. Rasch measurement software (Winsteps) was used to analyze the raw data. The concepts that the students found most difficult were identified; these included the graphical representation of a unit vector, the graphical addition and subtraction of vectors, and the interpretation of the dot and cross products, among others. On the other hand, some concepts were easier for students, such as the magnitude of a vector presented in unit-vector notation, and determination of the components of vectors. No significant differences in understanding of vector concepts could be attributed to gender; however, engineering students outperformed science students in understanding vector concepts. This study offers recommendations that physics instructors and researchers can use to improve the teaching of vector concepts.

Keywords

physics education
vectors
Rasch measurement
Jordan

License

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed, 2023, Volume 19, Issue 8, Article No: em2310

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/13431

Publication date: 01 Aug 2023

Online publication date: 21 Jun 2023

Article Views: 820

Article Downloads: 533

Open Access References How to cite this article

References

Ahamad, A. N., Samsudin, M. A., Ismail, M. E., & Ahmad, N. J. (2021). Enhancing the achievement in physics’ motion concept through online multiple intelligence learning approach. EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 17(2), em1941. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/9698
Appova, A., & Berezovski, T. (2013). Commonly identified students’ misconceptions about vectors and vector operations. In Proceedings of the Conference on Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education (pp. 8-17). RUME.
Bani-Salameh, H. N., Alkofahi, K. A., Al-Khateeb, H. M., & Alharbi, S. H. (2020). Investigating the knowledge of vector concepts of first year medical students. Health Professions Education, 6(3), 428-433. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hpe.2020.05.001
Barniol, P., & Zavala, G. (2012). Students’ difficulties with unit vectors and scalar multiplication of a vector. AIP Conference Proceedings, 1413(1), 115-118. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3680007
Barniol, P., & Zavala, G. (2014a). Force, velocity, and work: The effects of different contexts on students’ understanding of vector concepts using isomorphic problems. Physical Review Special Topics-Physics Education Research, 10(2), 020115. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.10.020115
Barniol, P., & Zavala, G. (2014b). Test of understanding of vectors: A reliable multiple-choice vector concept test. Physical Review Special Topics-Physics Education Research, 10(1), 010121. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.10.010121
Barniol, P., & Zavala, G. (2016). A tutorial worksheet to help students develop the ability to interpret the dot product as a projection. EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 12(9), 2387-2398. https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2016.1271a
Bollen, L., Van Kampen, P., Baily, C., Kelly, M., & De Cock, M. (2017). Student difficulties regarding symbolic and graphical representations of vector fields. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 13(2), 020109. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.13.020109
Bond, T., & Fox, C. M. (2015). Applying the Rasch model: Fundamental measurement in the human sciences (3rd edn.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315814698
Creswell, J. W. (2002). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative. Prentice Hall.
Flores-García, S., Alfaro-Avena, L. L., Dena-Ornelas, O., & González-Quezada, M. D. (2008). Students’ understanding of vectors in the context of forces. Revista Mexicana de Física E [Mexican Journal of Physics E], 54(1), 7-14.
Heckler, A. F., & Scaife, T. M. (2015). Adding and subtracting vectors: The problem with the arrow representation. Physical Review Special Topics-Physics Education Research, 11(1), 010101. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.11.010101
Karnam, D., Agrawal, H., Chandrasekharan, S., Yang, J. C., Chang, M., Wong, L. H., & Rodrigo, M. M. T. (2018). ‘Touchy feely vectors’ changes students’ understanding and modes of reasoning. In Proceedings of the 26^th International Conference on Computers in Education (pp. 143-152). Asia‐Pacific Society for Computers in Education.
Klein, P., Burkard, N., Hahn, L., Dahlkemper, M. N., Eberle, K., Jaeger, T., & Herrlich, M. (2021). Coordinating vector field equations and diagrams with a serious game in introductory physics. European Journal of Physics, 42(4), 045801. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6404/abef5c
Latifa, B. R. A., Purwaningsih, E., & Sutopo, S. (2021). Identification of students’ difficulties in understanding of vector concepts using test of understanding of vector. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2098(1), 012018. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2098/1/012018
Linacre, J. (1994). Sample size and item calibration stability. Rasch Measurement Transactions, 7, 328.
Linacre, J. M. (2002). What do infit and outfit, mean-square and standardized mean. Rasch Measurement Transactions, 16(2), 878.
Linacre, J. M. (2003). Rasch power analysis: Size vs. significance: Standardized Chi-square fit statistic. Rasch Measurement Transactions, 17(1), 918.
Linacre, J. M. (2006). Winsteps Rasch measurement computer program. WINSTEPS.com. https://www.winsteps.com/winsteps.htm
Liu, X. (2010). Using and developing measurement instruments in science education: A Rasch modeling approach. Information Age Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.20477
Mohd Dzin, N. H., & Lay, Y. F. (2021). Assessing the validity and reliability of science multiple choice test using Rasch dichotomous measurement model. Journal of Baltic Science Education, 20(6), 927-941. https://doi.org/10.33225/jbse/21.20.927
Munfaridah, N., Avraamidou, L., & Goedhart, M. (2021). The use of multiple representations in undergraduate physics education: what do we know and where do we go from here? EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 17(1), em1934. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/9577
Nguyen, N. L., & Meltzer, D. E. (2003). Initial understanding of vector concepts among students in introductory physics courses. American Journal of Physics, 71(6), 630-638. https://doi.org/10.1119/1.1571831
O’Brien, J. G., & Sirokman, G. (2014). Teaching vectors to engineering students through an interactive vector-based game. In Proceedings of the 2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition. https://doi.org/10.18260/1-2--23106
Ouko, S., Aurah, C., & Amadalo, M. (2015). Peer instruction and secondary school students’ achievement in vectors. Journal of Education and Practice, 6(27), 175-180.
Serway, R. A., & Jewett Jr, J. W. (2014). Physics for scientists and engineers with modern physics. Cengage Learning.
Sirait, J. H., & Oktavianty, E. (2017). Analysis of pre-service physics teachers’ understanding of vectors and forces. Journal of Turkish Science Education, 14(2), 82-95. https://doi.org/10.12973/tused.10200a
Susac, A., Planinic, M., Klemencic, D., & Sipus, Z. M. (2018). Using the Rasch model to analyze the test of understanding of vectors. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 14(2), 023101. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.14.023101

How to cite this article

APA

Sabah, S. (2023). Science and engineering students’ difficulties in understanding vector concepts. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 19(8), em2310. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/13431

Vancouver

Sabah S. Science and engineering students’ difficulties in understanding vector concepts. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2023;19(8):em2310. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/13431

AMA

Sabah S. Science and engineering students’ difficulties in understanding vector concepts. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2023;19(8), em2310. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/13431

Chicago

Sabah, Saed. "Science and engineering students’ difficulties in understanding vector concepts". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education 2023 19 no. 8 (2023): em2310. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/13431

Harvard

Sabah, S. (2023). Science and engineering students’ difficulties in understanding vector concepts. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 19(8), em2310. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/13431

MLA

Sabah, Saed "Science and engineering students’ difficulties in understanding vector concepts". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, vol. 19, no. 8, 2023, em2310. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/13431