Speaker
Ms
Amy Bray
(Rhodes University)
Description
The South African Institute of Physics and the Council on Higher Education
identified that there are many challenges associated with physics teaching and learning. We report on the results of a pilot study that attempted to identify the perceptions of first-year students studying physics at Rhodes University in 2017. Academics were interviewed, a questionnaire was created and a survey of first-year students was conducted. Focus groups were run with the second- and third-year students to acquire qualitative data to help understand the quantitative data received from the first-years. Emotional issues were identified as the largest contributing factor to students’ perceptions of physics. A high correlation between study skills and students’ understanding and problem-solving abilities was also observed. Under-preparedness was recognised as an important issue that needs further investigation.
Primary author
Ms
Amy Bray
(Rhodes University)
