Misconceptions

Thomas and Robin are joined by IoP Misconceptions expert, Alex Mathie.

Timestamps

• Introductions @ 00:15
• Physics in the News @ 01:25
• Misconceptions @ 02:47
  • Mistake vs Misconception @ 03:00
  • Why are misconceptions important in physics? @ 04:07
  • Examples of misconceptions @ 06:27
  • Models and misconceptions @ 08:55
  • Addressing misconceptions @ 10:33
  • IoP Spark and misconceptions @ 15:50
  • PIPER @ 24:37
  • What could a teacher do tomorrow to address misconceptions? @ 26:17
• Physics and Philosophy @ 30:10

Summary

What is it that makes physics a unique teaching challenge? Well dealing with misconceptions must be one of the prime candidates. More than perhaps any other subject, physics students end up with some stubbornly embedded ideas that might be along the right lines but are definitely on the wrong track.

No misconceptions about the running order though as we kick off with Physics in the News. Thomas stayed close to home this week, with two local stories that are physics related. Sonic boom over Suffolk and child rescued from hot car. Robin then introduces Alex Mathie who works with IoP Spark and PIPER (Practical Implications of Physics Education Research). Here are a few things we mentioned:

• Thomas found the YouTube video Why is Light slower in glass? – Sixty Symbols useful in fixing one of his misconceptions. The other (using the gradient of a tangent to a V vs I graph) is incorrect, you use the point on the graph of course.
• Robin mentioned some IoP workshops: Developing Mastery Style Questions is on 16th July and the other one sadly happened before the podcast is released. Keep an eye on IoP events.
• After the podcast, Alex also asked us to share a paper about alternative conceptions from the American Psychological Association.
• As a teacher, think about your questioning and how it might root out common misconceptions. Check out the IOP Spark misconceptions section to see what might crop up in the topic you’re teaching.

Join in!

Please share ideas or successes – or indeed questions by messaging us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/physicstp.bsky.social .  You can also message us via our website contact form on every page of the web site at  the.physicsteachingpodcast.com, or email using the address given in the podcast (if we remember). We are moving away from X but can be found there as @physicstp.

Music

• Season 7: Physics Is Our Business by Miracles of Modern Science.
• Seasons 5 and 6: Crescents by Ketsa.
• Seasons 3 and 4: Disco Sheik by Podington Bear.
• Seasons 1 and 2: One legged equilibrist polka by Circus Homunculus.
• Occasionally we also use Cantina Rag by Jackson F. Smith.

The music is used under the Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License