An investigation of student understanding of wave phenomena at a boundary as a guide to the development and assessment of instructional materials on mechanical waves

Abstract

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2008.

This dissertation reports on an in-depth investigation of student understanding of wave phenomena at a boundary. The research and curriculum development were conducted in the contexts of the introductory calculus-based physics course and special courses for preservice and inservice teachers. Research methods included pretests, post-tests, and informal observations and discussions with students. Several student difficulties with wave behavior at a boundary and the cause and effect relationship between wavelength, frequency, and propagation speed were identified. The results from this investigation have guided the development of two sets of instructional materials designed to address the conceptual and reasoning difficulties that were identified. The first is a sequence of tutorials intended to supplement standard lecture and laboratory instruction on mechanical waves in a traditional introductory course. The second consists of a module on mechanical waves designed for use in inquiry-oriented courses for preservice and inservice teachers. Ongoing assessment of both sets of materials indicates that they are effective in addressing many of the student difficulties that were found to be persistent. Such difficulties, when not addressed, may hinder student understanding of more advanced topics such as interference and diffraction of waves.