Abstract:

The purpose of the study is to determine how changes in the mode of teaching and learning at university first year level affect students’ attitude and beliefs about physics. One of the challenges facing Physics Education worldwide is the improvement of learning outcomes. The challenges have been intensified by the known attitudes of many, towards the subject. The university’s pre-service teachers in South Africa are not immune to this challenges. Based on their background of the physical science from high school teaching and learning, and radical changes on their current involvement with the subject at first year level, it is necessary to asses if student attitude towards their learning of physics has changed or not. Total of 233 first year students in this study. The 192 students registered for extended four year degree and 41 students’ teachers. The 115 males and 77 females from the extended group; 16 males and 25 female student teachers responded to the questionnaires. All the respondents did their high school in South Africa and register for introductory physics though not attending in the same class. The study uses the quantitative method. The questionnaire was administered four weeks after the beginning of the first semester in class using Google form. Google form was opted because it allows an easy retrieval and analysis of answers given by students. The questionnaire was allocated 45 minutes to be completed and all students finished within the allocated time. As a norm, students were familiar with the aim for administering the questionnaire and their voluntary participation was explained prior to administration of Google forms in all activities. EBAPS instrument is a forced-choice instrument designed to probe students' epistemologies, their views about the nature of knowledge and learning in the physical sciences. In our case, Physics EBAPS is aimed at high school and university students taking Introductory Physics, Chemistry or Physical Science. It's optimized for algebra-based courses. Both PSFTOA1 (Physics for teachers module) and PHY1A1E (Physics main-stream extended) are algebra-based modules). Preliminary results indicates students registered for PSFTOA1 and PHY1A1E are in the multiplism stage of understanding. Students’ general epistemological view can be categorized as developing sophistication in terms of their beliefs about knowledge and knowing. The study recommends that activities designed should focus on enhancing smooth transition from dualism beliefs to commitment to relativism.

Keywords:

Physics Education, Epistemological Beliefs, Science Technology Mathematics and Engineering (STEM).