Speakers
Description
In this article, we explored students’ alternative conception from specific worksheet responses. The implemented worksheet from previous research study was designed to enhance students’ conceptual understanding of vector addition and subtraction. After administered the worksheet to 5 classes of 157 grade eight students in a general science course at a large public Bangkok school, we found students’ alternative conception form their responses. 1) Vector symbol; 8% of the students wrote only capital alphabets and 4% of them wrote incorrect vector symbols as they put an arrow on side of capital alphabets in the same direction as the given vectors. 2) Vector addition in two dimensions; 34% of them drew added vectors in wrong magnitude because they put the first given vector in the middle of grid lines. Other students (13%) added vectors by keeping distance between the added vectors as the original vectors given in the worksheet. 3) Opposite direction vector; 24% of the students drew vectors in opposite direction but not exactly the same. To deduct the students’ errors, physics instructors should carefully emphasize vector symbol, remind students to put vectors in a line of grids, and explain more about opposite direction vector.
Keywords: Vector, Vector addition; Vector subtraction; Worksheet
