Markku Saarelainen; Pekka E. Hirvonen
Description:
Building up a comprehension of electrostatics and especially Gauss’s law depends on understanding the concept of anelectric field. Previous studies demonstrate several learning problems that occur in relation to electrostatics, and theconcept of an electric field is one of them. By eliciting information about a student’s thinking, it is possible to addressthe common denominators that form the main obstacles to learning the scientific content of electrostatics. Physicstheory at university level is traditionally presented in an abstract and compact form as a result of the evolution of itstheory. In this study we approach the problems involved in the teaching and learning of electrostatics by applying themethod of educational reconstruction in order to devise more effective teaching. In doing so, we hope to improvestudents’ performance in their adoption of the electrostatics content aimed at in the course.