Abstract

This research project, the first of its kind in Mauritius, has unveiled a number of issues related to difficulties and misconceptions students have in physics at upper secondary level. In addition, misconceptions have also been detected among physics educators in certain key physics concepts. These misconceptions or alternative conceptions are deeply rooted in learners and limit the development of cognitive structures in learners. Not addressing students' misconceptions may, in the long run, impinge significantly on students' conceptual understanding, not only physics, but of other areas as well. Misconceptions held by physics educators on certain key physics concepts have been identified during a pre-test exercise. After intervention, the post-test demonstrated a significant improvement in educators' content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. Statistical analysis of findings from a case study of a purposeful sample of participants (students and one educator} about their misconceptions has provided sufficient evidence of the effect of the teacher's lack of conceptual understanding in selected physics concepts on students' understanding. The research has shown that the adoption of learner-centered strategies, in addition to engaging learners in situations of cognitive dissonance is beneficial for knowledge construction and cognitive development of the learners. Capacity building workshops have been organized for physics educators of Mauritius and Rodrigues, involved in the pilot study. Teaching of selected physics concepts has been undertaken by the Research Team in the pilot schools, where students have been engaged in the learning of physics in an interactive way through technology with the use of data-logging. Feedback obtained during those sessions was used to conceptualise a framework for technology integration in the teaching and learning process. This framework considers technology, not as a tool, but as a medium for effective teaching and learning. This medium incorporates three elements, namely contextual knowledge, pedagogy and technology. As per the research objectives, the development of a website (http://science.mie.mu/physics/) was undertaken, It incorporates a platform for teachers, students and parents. Educators may use it to construct physics lessons while students are required to perform certain tasks at home with a view to acquiring (or reflecting on) prior knowledge before learning the concept at school. Parents, for their part, have the opportunity to interact with schools through the platform as a means to monitor and support the learning of their children. The web-based interactive platform incorporates a number of salient features, such as testing of prior knowledge (home and school), hands-on and minds-on activities, interactive Flash files, interactive Excel files, videos illustrating abstract concepts or guides to perform experiments, data from data-logging experiments, discussion forum, formative and summative assessment tasks, amongst others. It is the educators who have the administrative right to register students and parents on the platform, thus giving them access to the facilities in a timely manner. To support students' meaningful knowledge construction of physics, the three stakeholders should work in collaboration to generate a common synergy. A set of recommendations are provided with a view to bringing a paradigm shift in the teaching and learning of physics. The role that the appropriate stakeholders have to play to facilitate the integration of technology as a medium are listed. The report also identifies the challenges inherent to the conduct of this research project. However, this research project, the first of its kind in Mauritius, very much serves to document hitches, which could account, among other causes, for the failure of some aspects of our education system.