Ability to translate among representation modes depended on concept understanding rather than physics domain, with the most difficult translation differing by domain¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · causal r1 · q1
Currency · newest study 2015 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q1 i? Questionnaire and interview data showed 87% of students sometimes experienced translation difficulties depending on whether they understood the concept in the initial representation mode, and 76% still had difficulty selecting an intermodal representation. → Sinaga 2015 q1 i? The most difficult translation was from mathematic equation for electromagnetism but from graph for waves and optics, indicating domain-specific difficulty patterns. → Sinaga 2015 (2)

Evidence¶

Sinaga 2015¶

Sinaga, P., Suhandi, A., & Liliasari. (2015). The Effectiveness of Scaffolding Design in Training Writing Skills Physics Teaching Materials. International Journal of Instruction, 8(1). https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1085295

q1 · i? · causal · r1

Questionnaire and interview data gathered after the translation stage. 87% of students reported difficulty depending on concept understanding; 76% reported difficulty selecting an intermodal representation. These are self-report percentages, not effect sizes.

"almost all students (87%) stated that they sometimes experienced difficulties depending on whether they understood the concepts contained in the initial representation mode given"

Sinaga 2015 (2)¶

Sinaga, P., Suhandi, A., & Liliasari. (2015). The Effectiveness of Scaffolding Design in Training Writing Skills Physics Teaching Materials. International Journal of Instruction, 8(1). https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1085295

q1 · i? · causal · r1

Analysis of normalized gains by source representation mode in electromagnetism (mathematic equation to other modes: gain 18, low) and waves and optics (graph to other modes: lowest). The authors conclude the most difficult translation differed by domain while overall translation ability did not depend on domain.

"On the domain of electromagnetism, the most difficult translation among modes of representation was that from mathematic equation mode to other representation modes, while for the domain of waves and optics, the most difficult one was from representation mode of graph into other modes of representation"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Experimental class significantly outperformed control class in ability to write physics teaching materials on both topics — related
• Multiple representation ability improved with mixed gains: medium for waves and optics (d = 0.97) and low for electromagnetism (d = 0.80) — related
• Translation among modes of representation improved with low normalized gains and large effect sizes on both topics — related
• Graphing difficulties cluster into graph construction, variable ordering, and data translation categories, with construction difficulties most frequent — related