KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZATION IN PHYSICS TEXTBOOKS: A CASE STUDY OF MAGNETOSTATICS

TitleKNOWLEDGE ORGANIZATION IN PHYSICS TEXTBOOKS: A CASE STUDY OF MAGNETOSTATICS
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2011
AuthorsMajidi, S, Mäntylä, T
JournalJournal of Baltic Science Education
Volume10
Issue4
Start Page285-299
Date PublishedDecember/2011
Type of ArticleOriginal article
ISSN1648-3898
Other NumbersICID: 972568
Keywordsconcept maps, knowledge organization, science textbooks
Abstract

Textbooks often provide teachers and students a conception of how scientific knowledge is organized. Therefore, it is of interest to recognize what is the picture of knowledge conveyed by the textbooks. In this study, the knowledge organization in three university physics textbooks is analyzed from the viewpoint of how the basic elements in the topics of Biot-Savart and Ampère’s law are structurally linked. The method of analysis is based on the interpretative analysis, which (a) recognizes basic elements of knowledge and (b) identifies the categories of links that connect basic elements. Concept maps are used to represent knowledge organization of textbooks. The results indicate that content knowledge of textbooks consist of somehow identical basic elements but different categories of links and thus different knowledge organizations. The possibility to recognize these differences in the curriculum materials is a first step towards developing more effective teaching and learning solutions and curriculum plans.

URLhttp://oaji.net/articles/2014/987-1410547886.pdf
Refereed DesignationRefereed
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