물리문제(物理問題) 해결과정(解決過程)에서 중학생(中學生)들의 사고과정(思考過程)의 특성(特性) 분석(分析)

An Analysis of the Characteristics on the Middle School Students' Thinking Processes in Solving Physics Problems

This study was intended to find the characteristics of the middle school students' thinking processes and problem spaces when they solved the physics problems. Ten ninth grade students in Chon-Buk Do, Korea were participated in this study. The researcher investigated their thinking processes in solving 5 physics problems on electric circuit. "Thinking aloud" method was used as a research method. The students' thinking processes were recorded using an audio tape recorder and transfered into protocols. The protocols were analyzed by problem solving process coding system which was developed by Lee(1987) on the basis of Larkin's problem solving process model. The results are as follows : (1) On the average 2.85 items were solved among 5 test items, and only one person could solve all of the items correctly. (2) Problems were solved in sequence of understanding the problem, planning, carrying out the plan, and evaluating steps regardless of the problem difficulty. (3) In regard to the thinking process steps, there was no difference between the good solvers and the poor ones. But in the detail performance of problem solving, the former was different from the latter in respect with using the design of general solving procedure. (4) The basic problem spaces by the item analysis were divided into two classes. One was the problem space by using Qualitative approach in problem solving, and the other was one by using Quantitative approach. As novices in physics problem solving, most of the students used the problem space by using the Quantitative approach.