Improving Early Optics Instruction Using a Phenomenological Approach: A Field Study
Abstract
:1. Introduction
- provide an in-depth exploration of the conceptions of introductory optics topics such as the process of vision, refraction or image formation acquired by students introduced to optics following a phenomenological approach, namely the Erlangen teaching-learning sequence of introductory optics (cf. [10], for an overview of this concept see Section 2.3 of this article) and
- compare these students’ conceptions to the ones acquired by learners who participated in traditional instruction based upon the light ray realm.
2. Research Background
2.1. Students’ Conceptions of Basic Optics Topics
2.1.1. Students’ Conceptions of the Process of Vision
2.1.2. Students’ Conceptions of Refraction
2.1.3. Students’ Conceptions of Image Formation by Converging Lenses
2.2. Phenomenological Approaches in Science Education
2.3. The Erlangen Teaching-Learning Sequence of Introductory Optics
- Vision and brightness,
- Refraction,
- The look through a prism, and
- Image formation by converging lenses.
2.3.1. Learning Pathway of the Erlangen Teaching-Learning Sequence
2.3.2. Empirical Findings
3. Research Question
- vision and brightness,
- refraction, and
- image formation by converging lenses
4. Methods
4.1. Study Design and Sample
4.2. Interventions
4.3. Instrument
- the students’ pretest scores to check for differences between control and intervention group students with respect to prior knowledge regarding introductory optics topics.
- the combination of answer option chosen in tier one, and students’ answer certainty provided in tier two in order to detect learning difficulties as explained in the data analysis Section 4.4.
4.4. Data Analysis
- At least 10% of the students selected a wrong answer option confidently or very confidently.
- The average CRI of an answer option is below 3 and at least of students selected this answer option confidently or very confidently.
5. Results
5.1. General Overview
5.2. Exploration of Student Conceptions
- provide a description of the answer choices that point to learning difficulties, and
- specify the differences and commonalities between students in the intervention and control groups with respect to these potential learning difficulties based on descriptive statistics,
5.2.1. Vision in Complete Darkness
5.2.2. The Influence of Bright Walls on Overall Brightness
5.2.3. Refraction versus Reflection
5.2.4. Image Formation by Converging Lenses
6. Discussion
6.1. Learning Difficulties Regarding Vision and Brightness
6.1.1. “Cat Eyes Can Be Seen in Absolute Darkness”
6.1.2. “Illuminated Objects Do Not Send out Light”
6.2. Learning Difficulties Regarding Refraction
6.2.1. “Reflection = Refraction”
6.2.2. General Confusion about the Concept of Refraction
6.3. Learning Difficulties Regarding Images by Converging Lenses
7. Conclusions
7.1. Limitations
7.2. Outlook
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Total Sample | IG (Phenomenological Approach) | CG (Traditional Instruction) | |
---|---|---|---|
Students | 189 | 89 | 100 |
Gender | |||
males | 101 | 40 | 61 |
females | 78 | 47 | 31 |
not specified | 10 | 2 | 8 |
Teachers | 7 | 3 | 4 |
Classes | 8 | 4 | 4 |
Phenomenological Approach to Optical Concepts (IG) | Traditional Optics Teaching (CG) |
---|---|
Process of vision as a key idea along the entire sequence. | The process of vision as an introductory topic. |
Transmitter-receiver concept of vision. | Transmitter-receiver concept of vision. |
Experimental exploration of apparent depth, refraction and image formation. | Model-based explanation of apparent depth, refraction and image formation using the ray model of light. |
Experimental exploration of dependencies between object distance, image distance and focal length of a converging lens | Mathematical description of image formation using the thin lens formula. |
Domain | Descriptors | Items | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Vision and brightness | Light propagation, visibility of objects, sender-emission-receiver concept | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
2 | Refraction and apparent depth | Apparent depth, definition of light refraction, distinction between refraction and reflection | 5, 6, 7 |
3 | Images by converging lenses | Real images by the converging lens, image size, brightness of images | 8, 9, 10 |
Item 2: Which of the following objects/animals can you see in a completely darkened room? | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
□ A glowing firefly. | ||||
□ A white sheet of paper. | ||||
□ A bicycle reflector. | ||||
□ The eyes of a cat. | ||||
□ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
Very sure | Sure | Undecided | Unsure | Guessed |
Item 7: What can you say about the light path at the intersection form air to another | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
transparent medium (e.g., glass or water)? | ||||
□ The light reaches to the middle of the other medium and makes it shine. | ||||
□ The light changes its direction as soon as it reaches the other medium. | ||||
□ The light only reaches the intersection and is absorbed there. | ||||
□ The light does not change its direction, it propagates in a straight line. | ||||
□ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
Very sure | Sure | Undecided | Unsure | Guessed |
Item 9: In an experimental setting, a light bulb, a converging lens and a screen are set up in a way that an enlarged, reversed, sharp image of the filament can be seen. What happens if the lower half of the lens is covered? | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
□ The upper half of the image is cut off. | ||||
□ The lower half of the image is cut off. | ||||
□ The image becomes darker. | ||||
□ The image becomes smaller. | ||||
□ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
Very sure | Sure | Undecided | Unsure | Guessed |
High CRI (≥3) | Low CRI (≤3) | |
---|---|---|
Correct | Correct answer and high CRI | Correct Answer and low CRI |
Answer | Lack of knowledge | Knowledge of scientific concept |
Wrong | Wrong answer and high CRI | Wrong answer and low CRI |
Answer | Lack of knowledge | Learning difficulty |
Answer Option 1 | Answer Option 2 | Answer Option 3 | Answer Option 4 | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Item | CRI | Relative # | CRI | Relative # | CRI | Relative # | CRI | Relative # | ||||||||
IG | CG | IG | CG | IG | CG | IG | CG | IG | CG | IG | CG | IG | CG | IG | CG | |
1 | 2.00 | 2.57 | 3% | 4% | 1.37 | 1.50 | 95% | 81% | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
2 | 1.81 | 1.71 | 79% | 58% | - | 3.00 | 0% | 1% | 3.00 | 1.88 | 0% | 7% | 2.00 | 2.06 | 3% | 17% |
3 | 2.40 | 2.18 | 45% | 58% | 3.00 | 3.40 | 0% | 1% | 3.67 | 3.71 | 0% | 0% | 2.84 | 2.40 | 9% | 4% |
4 | 3.14 | 2.78 | 3% | 3% | - | 3.50 | 0% | 1% | 3.70 | 3.60 | 3% | 5% | 2.42 | 2.19 | 44% | 40% |
5 | 1.92 | 2.10 | 62% | 36% | 2.64 | 3.67 | 7% | 5% | 3.00 | 3.39 | 0% | 9% | 2.50 | 3.83 | 1% | 0% |
6 | 2.67 | 3.33 | 5% | 2% | 2.25 | 2.12 | 40% | 48% | 3.00 | 5.00 | 1% | 0% | 2.68 | 2.33 | 13% | 14% |
7 | 3.33 | 3.11 | 1% | 5% | 2.00 | 2.41 | 55% | 39% | 3.83 | 3.83 | 1% | 3% | 2.09 | 2.63 | 8% | 8% |
8 | 1.97 | 2.52 | 60% | 36% | 3.33 | 3.83 | 1% | 5% | 4.50 | 3.73 | 0% | 1% | 2.80 | 2.87 | 1% | 5% |
9 | 2.74 | 3.19 | 8% | 11% | 3.36 | 3.00 | 3% | 19% | 1.88 | 3.00 | 41% | 8% | 2.33 | 3.00 | 3% | 1% |
10 | 2.86 | 3.36 | 3% | 8% | 1.72 | 3.43 | 69% | 4% | 2.75 | 2.79 | 1% | 20% | 1.67 | 3.43 | 4% | 3% |
Item 3: Does it affect the brightness in a room whether it has bright or dark wallpaper? | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
□ | Yes, because bright wallpapers scatter more light which than can fall into the eye, than a dark wallpaper. | ||||
□ | No, because dark wallpapers do not change the brightness in a room. | ||||
□ | Yes, because more light will remain lying on the bright wallpaper. | ||||
□ | No, the brightness depends on the lamp in the room or the sunlight that falls through the window, not on the brightness of the wallpaper. | ||||
□ | □ | □ | □ | □ | |
Very sure | Sure | Undecided | Unsure | Guessed |
Item 5: Please select what you understand by refraction of light. | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
□ | Change of direction of the light path when light reaches another transparent medium. | ||||
□ | Change of direction of the light path when light reaches a non-transparent medium. | ||||
□ | Change of direction of the light path when light is redirected at a mirror. | ||||
□ | Propagation of light without a change of direction of the light path. | ||||
□ | □ | □ | □ | □ | |
Very sure | Sure | Undecided | Unsure | Guessed |
Item 6: You want to count the number of fishes in the aquarium [picture shown to students]. Which statement do you agree with? | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
□ | In the aquarium are two orange, two silver and some black fish. | ||||
□ | The refraction at the edge of the aquarium is deceiving. In reality there are only one orange, one silver and some black fish. | ||||
□ | In the aquarium are four orange fish, but because of refraction you can see only two. | ||||
□ | The orange fish is reflected on the wall of the aquarium, that is why it looks like there are two orange fish. | ||||
□ | □ | □ | □ | □ | |
Very sure | Sure | Undecided | Unsure | Guessed |
Item 10: In an experimental setting, a light bulb, a converging lens and a screen are set up in a way that an enlarged, reversed, sharp image of the filament can be seen. What happens if the the lens is covered by a cardboard with a small hole? | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
□ The image becomes smaller. | ||||
□ The image becomes darker. | ||||
□ The edges of the image are cut off circularly. | ||||
□ The image becomes brighter. | ||||
□ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
Very sure | Sure | Undecided | Unsure | Guessed |
Domain | Learning Difficulty | Item | Answer Option | IG | CG | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Vision and Brightness | “Cat eyes can be seen in absolute darkness” | 2 | 4 | 3% | 17% |
“Illuminated objects do not send out light” | 3 | 4 | 9% | 4% | ||
2 | Refraction and apparent depth | “Refraction = Reflection” | 5 | 3 | 0% | 9% |
6 | 4 | 13% | 14% | |||
Confusion about the concept of refraction | 7 | 4 | 8% | 8% | ||
3 | Images by converging lenses | “An aperture in front of a converging lens crops the image” | 9 | 1 | 8% | 11% |
9 | 2 | 3% | 19% | |||
10 | 3 | 1% | 20% |
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Fliegauf, K.; Sebald, J.; Veith, J.M.; Spiecker, H.; Bitzenbauer, P. Improving Early Optics Instruction Using a Phenomenological Approach: A Field Study. Optics 2022, 3, 409-429. https://doi.org/10.3390/opt3040035
Fliegauf K, Sebald J, Veith JM, Spiecker H, Bitzenbauer P. Improving Early Optics Instruction Using a Phenomenological Approach: A Field Study. Optics. 2022; 3(4):409-429. https://doi.org/10.3390/opt3040035
Chicago/Turabian StyleFliegauf, Kai, Janika Sebald, Joaquin Marc Veith, Henrike Spiecker, and Philipp Bitzenbauer. 2022. "Improving Early Optics Instruction Using a Phenomenological Approach: A Field Study" Optics 3, no. 4: 409-429. https://doi.org/10.3390/opt3040035