Hodari & Hufnagel, Am J Phys Letter (1999)

Diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires

A. Hodari & B. Hufnagel, Letter to the editor, American Journal of Physics, 67(9), p 753 (September 1999). (html version)

Hammer, Inquiring into Inquiry Learning and Teaching in Science (2000)

Teacher inquiry

D. Hammer, in Inquiring into Inquiry Learning and Teaching in Science, J. Minstrell & E. vanZee (Eds), Washington DC: American Association for the Advancement of Scieince, p 184-215 (2000) (Also 1999, In the Paper Series of the Center for the Development of Teaching at EDC, in Newton, MA) (html version)

Abstract: The progessive agendas of science education reform, in particular that of promoting student inquiry, place substantial intellectual demands on teachers. If these reforms are to succeed, the education community must do more to appreciate and address those demands. This paper presents three examples of high school physics teachers' conversations about "snippets" of each others' work with students. The purposes are (1) to hightlight the central role and intellectual demands of teacher inquiry, in particular teacher diagnosis of students' strengths and needs; (2) to suggest that teachers often experience and express their diagnoses in terms of instructional strategies, and (3) to suggest that the value of education research for instruction should be understood primarily with respect to what it may contribute to teacher inquiry.

Hammer, Science Education (1999)

Physics for first-graders?

D. Hammer, Science Education, 83(6), p 797-799. (html preprint) 

Abstract: Last year, browsing current journals, I came across an article in Kappan titled "Physics for First Graders" (Hagerott, 1997). I'm a big fan of the idea that young children can, do, and should learn physics, even children as young as the first grade. But this article was misguided, and it troubled me that Kappan, which bills itself as "The Professional Journal for Education," would publish it. I held off writing a response — I had plenty to do, and I assumed there would be a barrage of criticism. Still, I watched Kappan, and when several months went by without any sign of that criticism, I phoned the editors to learn that none had been submitted.

Was everyone expecting someone else to write? More worrisome was the possibility that the piece fit with Kappan readers' expectations of science education. I drafted a somewhat longer essay than I'd originally considered, backing up a little to explain my concerns about the scientific substance and pedagogy.

Kappan declined to publish my response. The editors felt I was "eminently unfair" to the author. Moreover, they noted, no one but me seemed to have any problem with the article: "As an enrichment activity that will give kids more exposure to some of the basic concepts of physics than they are likely to get otherwise — unless they have an exceptional first-grade teacher — we see nothing wrong with [the author's] approach." I don't think I was unfair, and the fact that the editors and readership might see nothing wrong with "Physics for First Graders" was, in the end, what motivated me to write. It is also what motivates me to publish my essay here, and I am grateful to Science Education for providing a venue.

What follows is the essay I submitted to Kappan. Readers of Science Education may make their own judgments, and I would be happy to hear them.

Redish, Conf: Physics Teacher Beyond 2000 (2000)

Who needs to learn physics in the 21st century and why?

E. F. Redish, plenary lecture, GIREP Conference: Physics Teacher Education Beyond 2000, Barecelona, Spain (Aug 2000).

Abstract: In this talk I consider what physics can offer to students, both as physics majors and in other sciences. The recent increases in the technological character of the workplace appear likely to continue, leading to increasing numbers of individuals who should learn something about science. For many of these people, understanding the character of science, including learning new ways to think about and analyze the physical world, is an essential component of what they need to learn. In the next few years, we will need to figure out exactly what we can usefully teach them and how to do it effectively in the short time they are in a physics class. The critical information for this discussion comes from a careful consideration of what it means to think about and understand science and from careful observations of the actual thinking processes of incoming physics students.

Redish, International Conf of Phys Teachers & Educators (1999)

Diagnosing Student Problems Using the Results and Methods of Physics Education Research

E. F. Redish, International Conference of Physics Teachers and Educators: Guilin, People's Republic of China (19 August, 1999). 

McDermott & Redish, Am J Phys (1999)

Resource Letter PER-1: Physics Education Research

L. C. McDermott & E. F. Redish, Am J Phys, 67, p 755-767 (Sept 1999). (html version)

Abstract: The purpose of this Resource Letter is to provide an overview of research on the learning and teaching of physics. The references have been selected to meet the needs of two groups of physicists engaged in physics education. The first is the growing number whose field of scholarly inquiry is (or might become) physics education research. The second is the much larger community of physics instructors whose primary interest is in using the results from research as a guide for improving instruction.

Redish, Am J Phys (1999)

Millikan Award Lecture (1998): Building a Science of Teaching Physics

E. F. Redish, Am J Phys, 67, p 755-767 (September, 1999). (html version)

Abstract: Individual teachers of college level physics sometimes develop deep insights into how their students learn and what elements of classroom instruction are valuable in facilitating the learning process. Yet these insights rarely persist beyond the individual instructor. Educational methods seem to cycle from one fad to another, rarely cumulating increasingly powerful knowledge in the way scientists expect understanding to grow. In this paper I explore the character of our understanding of the physical world and of teaching about it. The critical factor is using "the culture of science" — the set of processes that allow us to build a community consensus knowledge base. Elements of the beginning of a base for our educational knowledge are discussed and examples given from discipline-based physics education research.

Redish & Steinberg, Physics Today (1999)

Teaching physics: Figuring out what works

E. F. Redish & R. N. Steinberg, Physics Today, 52, p 24-30 (Jan 1999). (html version)

Redish, Didaktik der Physik (1996)

New Models of Physics Instruction Based on Physics Education Research

E. F. Redish, Vortraege, Deutsche Physikalishe Gesellschaft, Didaktik der Physik, 60. Physikertagung, K. H. Lotze (ed), p 51-65, Jena, Germany (March 1996). (html version)

Abstract: During the past fifteen years, physics education research has taught us many surprising things about the difficulties introductory university students have in learning physics. At the same time, the ongoing revolution in information technology has led to new tools for creating innovative educational environments. In response to these two developments, a wide variety of new models of physics instruction are beginning to appear. We review some of the findings of physics education research, putting them into the context of a theory of thinking and learning. Some of the most promising instructional models currently being developed in the US are discussed.