The Mechanical Waves Conceptual Survey: An Analysis of University Students’ Performance, and Recommendations for Instruction
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1 |
Tecnologico de Monterrey |
2 |
Universidad Andres Bello |
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Genaro Zavala
Tecnologico de Monterrey, E. Garza Sada 2501, 64849 Monterrey, Mexico
Publication date: 2016-12-15
EURASIA J. Math., Sci Tech. Ed 2017;13(3):929–952
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ABSTRACT
Background:
The Mechanical Waves Conceptual Survey (MWCS), presented in 2009, is the most important test to date that has been designed to evaluate university students’ understanding of four main topics: propagation, superposition, reflection, and standing waves. In a literature review, we detected a significant need for a study that uses this test as an assessment tool and presents a complete analysis of students’ difficulties on the test. This article addresses this need.
Material and methods:
We administered the MWCS at a private university in Mexico to 541 students.
Results:
In this article, we present a complete description of these students’ performance on the test, a description of their main difficulties, an elaboration of these main difficulties in terms of students’ inappropriate conceptions and recommendations for instruction based on the results obtained by the test.
Conclusions:
Our analyses may be used by instructors and researchers who intend to use the MWCS or create new instructional material.