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Effectiveness of Tutorials for Introductory Physics in Argentinean high schools

J. Benegas and J. Sirur Flores
Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 10, 010110 – Published 24 March 2014
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Abstract

This longitudinal study reports the results of a replication of Tutorials in Introductory Physics in high schools of a Latin-American country. The main objective of this study was to examine the suitability of Tutorials for local science education reform. Conceptual learning of simple resistive electric circuits was determined by the application of the single-response multiple-choice test “Determining and Interpreting Resistive Electric Circuits Concepts Test” (DIRECT) to high school classes taught with Tutorials and traditional instruction. The study included state and privately run schools of different socioeconomic profiles, without formal laboratory space and equipment, in classes of mixed-gender and female-only students, taught by novice and experienced instructors. Results systematically show that student learning is significantly higher in the Tutorials classes compared with traditional teaching for all of the studied conditions. The results also show that long-term learning (one year after instruction) in the Tutorials classes is highly satisfactory, very similar to the performance of the samples of college students used to develop the test DIRECT. On the contrary, students following traditional instruction returned one year after instruction to the poor performance (<20%) shown before instruction, a result compatible with the very low level of conceptual knowledge of basic physics recently determined by a systematic study of first-year students attending seven universities in Spain and four Latin-American countries. Some replication and adaptation problems and difficulties of this experience are noted, as well as recommendations for successful use of Tutorials in high schools of similar educational systems.

  • Received 9 May 2013

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.10.010110

This article is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.

Published by the American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

J. Benegas1,* and J. Sirur Flores2

  • 1Physics Department/Instituto de Matemática Aplicada San Luis (IMASL), Facultad de Ciencias Físico-Matemáticas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, 5700 San Luis, Argentina
  • 2Colegio Provincial N°1 “Juan C. Lafinur”-Instituto “San Luis Gonzaga,” 5700 San Luis. Argentina

  • *Corresponding author. jbenegas@unsl.edu.ar

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Vol. 10, Iss. 1 — January - June 2014

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