The relation between grade 10 learners’ mathematical knowledge and their understanding of equations of motion in physical sciences

Abstract

One of the biggest challenges learners encounter in science education is the lack of mathematical understanding and its relation to concepts in physics. This results in a poor understanding of mathematically demanding concepts like equations of motion. Published research reports similar trends in physics programmes at university. One of the main reasons for this is the fact that at schools, science and mathematics are seen as two distinct knowledge fields, which results in teachers and learners failing to make the necessary connections between the disciplines during the teaching and learning process. As a result, teachers at secondary level do not recognize that many of the learners enter the Further Education and Training (FET) science phase, in grade 10, with limited applications of mathematical knowledge in science from the previous grades. The purpose of this research in which the teacher and the researcher were the same person, was to see if it is possible to make teaching science more effective. This was done by investigating the effect of a teaching strategy that is learner-centred, conforming to the theory of social constructivism that endeavours to accentuate the mathematics required in understanding equations of motion in hopes of improving learner understanding and achievement as compared to the conventional traditional teaching style that dominates physical science classrooms around South Africa. Informed by Kiray’s balance model as the theoretical framework, the aim of the study was to establish the relation between grade 10 learners’ mathematical competency and their understanding of equations of motion in physical sciences. Methodologically, the study adopted a mixed-method approach, where the quantitative aspect was a quasi-experimental non-equivalent pre-test-post-test control group research design as well as a qualitative data collection approach. Quantitatively, the data collection instruments utilized included the Equations of Motion Achievement Test (EoMAT) and Mathematics Ability Test (MAT) while interview questions were designed for a few selected participants to generate qualitative data that gleans for insight into the learners’ experience of being subjected to the intervention teaching strategy. Because of the Covid-19 crisis and the safety protocols put in place by the WCED, the groups for data collection had to be smaller. Consequently, the researcher recruited 18 grade 10 research participants for the experimental group and 18 participants for the control group, giving a total of 36 research participants (N = 36). Both (experimental and control) groups took the EoMAT and MAT as pre-tests. The EoMAT and MAT had total mark scores of 70 and 50, respectively. The pre-tests indicated the learners' initial performance level prior to the four-week intervention. In the experimental school, the learners’ scores in the MAT during pre-test were used to categorize them into high, average, and low mathematical abilities. Only the EoMAT was administered as a post-test at the conclusion of the 4-week intervention to compare the effects of the collaborative approach (group approach) intervention teaching strategy that emphasizes the mathematics required for conceptual understanding of equations of motion (experimental group) and teachers' conventional teaching (control group) on learner performance. According to the Pearson product moment correlation, the EoMAT and MAT pre-tests were strongly correlated, r(34) = .7999, p < .00001. An independent t-test was run on the EoMAT post-test scores, and the following were obtained. The 18 participants who received the intervention in the experimental group (M = 36.89, SD = 8.47) compared to the 18 participants in the control group (M = 23.61, SD = 5.85) demonstrated significantly better improvement in the EoMAT post-test scores, t(34) = 5.47, p < .00001.The results from the experimental focus group interviews also indicated similar findings--- they were exposed to a teaching strategy that may be effective when teaching certain physical science topics in grade 10 classrooms. The implications of the results obtained are discussed.