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Key research themes
1. How do misconceptions among pre-service elementary teachers affect understanding of fundamental force and motion concepts?
This theme investigates the prevalence of misunderstandings and misconceptions about core concepts of force and motion — such as free fall, rest objects, buoyant force, and gravitation — among pre-service elementary teachers. Since elementary teachers serve as primary facilitators of science education at early levels, their conceptual clarity or lack thereof critically influences the quality of science teaching and subsequent student conceptual change.
Key finding: The study involving 148 pre-service elementary teachers at Universitas Muhammadiyah Purwokerto revealed widespread misconceptions in key areas such as free fall—where many believed heavier objects fall faster—and... Read more
Key finding: Through a combination of longitudinal study insights and classroom interventions, the authors indicate that children and even adults share misconceptions historically held by early scientists, such as Aristotle's impetus... Read more
Key finding: Presentation of Newton’s laws to clarify core relationships between force, mass, and acceleration elucidates common intuitive errors, such as misunderstanding that an object will remain at rest without external influence and... Read more
2. How do active and technology-enhanced learning approaches influence students’ comprehension and engagement with Newtonian force and motion concepts?
This research theme synthesizes empirical studies on the impact of interactive and inquiry-based instructional strategies, including computer simulations, concept cartoons, and outdoor activities, on students’ conceptual and procedural understanding of Newton’s laws of motion. It also considers how these methods affect students’ motivation and interest, potentially leading to more effective learning outcomes in physics education.
Key finding: In a quasi-experimental design with grade 11 students in UAE, those exposed to computer simulations within an inquiry-based learning environment showed statistically significant improvements in both conceptual and procedural... Read more
Key finding: Through interviews and journal analyses, seventh graders reported that concept cartoons facilitated enjoyable, meaningful, and lasting learning experiences in the 'Force and Motion' unit. The cartoons encouraged active... Read more
Key finding: Using a Classroom Action Research method with secondary school students in Indonesia, the study demonstrated increased science achievement and student interest when outdoor activities were integrated into instruction on... Read more
Key finding: Similarly, this study corroborated that outdoor, experiential activities positively impacted eighth graders' achievement and enthusiasm for learning physics concepts related to force and motion. The research stresses the role... Read more
3. What are the contemporary theoretical and empirical insights into the nature of forces and their relation to motion from classical to materialist perspectives?
This theme encompasses philosophical, historical, and modern conceptual analyses of fundamental force concepts—Newton’s laws, especially the principle of action-reaction, and extended interpretations of inertial motion. It also explores emergent materialist and posthumanist critiques that reposition force and motion beyond classical anthropocentric frameworks, considering the agency of matter and the relationality embedded in force interactions.
Key finding: The study conducts an ontological and epistemological examination of Newton's third law (action and reaction), revealing its complexity beyond apparent self-evidence. It clarifies that action and reaction forces are equal,... Read more
Key finding: Challenging the conventional exclusion of uniform circular motion as non-inertial, the authors demonstrate dynamic equivalence between uniform rectilinear and circular motions, proposing a modified statement of Newton's first... Read more
Key finding: This philosophical inquiry critiques the historic privileging of language over matter in interpreting force and motion, positioning contemporary materialist turns that emphasize bodily movement and nonhuman agency. It... Read more
Key finding: Proposing a conceptual shift whereby motion at speed c is fundamental to matter and forces emerge as reactions to motion, this work reinterprets gravity, electrostatic, and magnetic forces as manifestations of distinct motion... Read more