Speaker
Level for award<br> (Hons, MSc, <br> PhD, N/A)?
MSc
Would you like to <br> submit a short paper <br> for the Conference <br> Proceedings (Yes / No)?
No
Apply to be<br> considered for a student <br> award (Yes / No)?
Yes
Abstract content <br> (Max 300 words)<br><a href="http://events.saip.org.za/getFile.py/access?resId=0&materialId=0&confId=34" target="_blank">Formatting &<br>Special chars</a>
The paper reports on a study in the Physics Department at University of the Western Cape(UWC) to promote positive attitude towards learning physics in a mixed ability physics
mainstream mechanics first year class. The mainstream physics module centers its focus on improving students’ attitude towards learning physics by giving them epistemological access to the study of physics. Central to the modules teaching philosophy and pedagogy is the socio-cultural perspectives on learning in the sciences. This has guided the development of our intervention strategies to direct students’ learning toward gaining access to the ways of knowing of the discipline. Such perspectives suggest that an exclusively individual or cognitive approach may need to be complemented by those that recognize the social contexts in which science learning takes place, and which place a greater emphasis on
learning as participation and identity development. An overview of the mainstream mechanics module curriculum, pedagogical practice arnd learning environment as well as the
preliminary results of a survey of students’ experiences of the module will be presented and discussed.
Please indicate whether<br>this abstract may be<br>published online<br>(Yes / No)
Yes
Main supervisor (name and email)<br>and his / her institution
Dr Mark Herbert, mherbert@uwc.ac.za at University of the Western Cape
