United States

The conceptual development of student understanding of weight
Xiangqun Zhang and Lei Bao
Existing research has reported persistent difficulties among students at all levels in understanding the concepts involving weight and gravitation. In the literature and textbooks, there are two versions of weight definition in terms of (1) the gravitational force applied on an object and (2) the force applied on the supporting object. The latter is often referred to as the operational definition of weight, which describes the process of weighing an object. Studies have also demonstrated that using the operational definition in teaching can improve student understanding of the concepts involving weight, gravitation, and weighing. However, in the Chinese middle school physics curriculum, the gravitational definition of weight is mandated and universally implemented in instruction. To investigate the impact on student learning from using the gravitational definition of weight, a post-instruction survey is conducted to examine students’ conceptual understandings of weight. The results will be discussed and compared to the literature.


AAPT SM 21

The conceptual development of student understanding of weight

the conceptual development

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