University Students’ Conceptions of the Relationship Between Mathematics and Physics and the Relationship Between Mathematics and Physics Learning

Abstract

The present study identified university students’ conceptions of mathematics and physics as well as students’ conceptions of mathematics and physics learning. Furthermore, the study elicited university students’ conceptions of the relationship between mathematics and physics and the relationship between mathematics and physics learning. As a final, the study compared university students’ conceptions of mathematics and physics as well as students’ conceptions of mathematics and physics learning. A purposeful sample of university students (pre-service elementary science and mathematics teachers) who had taken required mathematics and physics courses participated in the study. Open-ended questionnaires and interviews were used to collect data. The analysis found that most students believed that mathematics was closely related to physics and that it was difficult to succeed in physics without understanding mathematics. In addition, more students exhibited coherent conceptions of physics and higher-level conceptions of physics learning compared to the number of the students with coherent conceptions of mathematics and higher-level conceptions of mathematics learning. How the nature of the disciplines of mathematics and physics affects the development of student conceptions is discussed. Key words: conceptions, conceptions of learning, mathematics, physics, qualitative study.