Open AccessWhy is physics hard? Unpacking students’ perceptions of physics
Author(s) -
Aibhín Bray,
Jennifer Williams
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of physics. conference series
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.21
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1742-6596
pISSN - 1742-6588
DOI - 10.1088/1742-6596/1512/1/012002
Subject(s) - preparedness , perception , unpacking , mathematics education , medical education , psychology , medicine , linguistics , philosophy , neuroscience , political science , law
It has been well established that there are many challenges associated with physics teaching and learning. This pilot study attempted to identify the perceptions of first-year students studying physics at Rhodes University in 2017. Academics in the Department were interviewed, a questionnaire was created and a survey was conducted with first-year students. Emotional issues were identified as the largest contributing factor to students’ perceptions of physics. A high correlation between study skills and students’ understanding and problem-solving abilities was observed. Under-preparedness was recognised as an important issue that needs further investigation.