CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING OF PHYSICAL GEOLOGY--HOW IMPORTANT IS PHYSICS?

Conceptual understanding of geologic processes commonly taught in introductory geology often requires a conceptual understanding of physics. Introductory geology courses typically are taken prior to physics and increasingly these courses are taken while students are attending 2-year colleges. Although limited research is available on the level of conceptual understanding of physics required to facilitate student conceptual understanding of introductory geology, lack of understanding of physics is frequently considered a barrier to learning in geology. Pre-testing and post-testing, a method used by some physics education researchers, was used to investigate students conceptual understanding of selected topics in physics and geology before, during, and after inquiry-based instruction. Preliminary results of this research indicate that although lack of student understanding of physics fundamentally prevents student understanding of geologic processes, other barriers to student understanding are specific to application of physics to geologic processes. For example, results indicate that for students to develop a conceptual understanding of seafloor spreading based on magnetic evidence, their framework of understanding must include a conceptual understanding of magnetism, ability to apply those concepts to the earth, and spatial reasoning about the earth. Conceptual understanding of magnetism alone frequently does not result in correct application of those concepts to the earth system. After development of conceptual understanding of magnets using inquiry materials on magnets in Physics by Inquiry (McDermott et al., 1996), students were asked to explain the origin of the magnetic banding pattern on the seafloor. Initially, 95% of students attributed seafloor magnetic banding to the exposure of newly forming rocks to the magnetic field of the surrounding rocks, rather than to a change in the orientation of the earth's magnetic field. Because of their conceptual understanding of the formation of magnets, a series of questions about the strength and polarity of magnets formed by exposure to a magnetic field helped the students to correct their misconceptions during class.

McDermott, L., Shaffer, P. S., Rosenquist, M., and PEG, 1996, Physics by Inquiry: An Introduction to Physics and the Physical Sciences, John Wiley and Sons, New York, 385pp.