A modeling method for high school physics instruction

TLDR

High‑school physics instruction relies on students building and applying scientific models, with course content centered on a few core models, and the field faces challenges in developing teachers’ pedagogical expertise. The study designs and develops a new method for high‑school physics instruction. The method structures instruction into modeling cycles that guide students through model development, evaluation, and application in real situations. Evidence indicates that the modeling method yields substantially greater gains in student understanding than cooperative inquiry or learning cycle approaches, highlighting the critical role of teacher pedagogical expertise.

Abstract

The design and development of a new method for high school physics instruction is described. Students are actively engaged in understanding the physical world by constructing and using scientific models to describe, explain, predict, and to control physical phenomena. Course content is organized around a small set of basic models. Instruction is organized into modeling cycles which move students systematically through all phases of model development, evaluation, and application in concrete situations—thus developing skill and insight in the procedural aspects of scientific knowledge. Objective evidence shows that the modeling method can produce much larger gains in student understanding than alternative methods of instruction. This reveals limitations of the popular ‘‘cooperative inquiry’’ and ‘‘learning cycle’’ methods. It is concluded that the effectiveness of physics instruction depends heavily on the pedagogical expertise of the teacher. The problem of cultivating such expertise among high school teachers is discussed at length, with specific recommendations for action within the physics community.