Enhancing Reasoning Skills in the Process of Teaching and Learning Physics via Dynamic Problem Solving Strategies: a Preparation for Future Learning

TL;DR

This paper advocates for teaching physics through dynamic problem solving strategies to enhance students' reasoning skills, aiming to develop adaptive experts capable of innovative and efficient physics understanding.

Contribution

It introduces a structured, dynamic problem solving approach as an effective method for improving both conceptual and quantitative physics learning.

Findings

Structured problem solving enhances conceptual understanding.

Students develop adaptive expertise in physics.

Approach supports future learning and innovation.

Abstract

The large number of published articles in physics journals under the title "Comments on ..." and "Reply to ..." is indicative that the conceptual understanding of physical phenomena is very elusive and hard to grasp even to experts, but it has not stopped the development of Physics. In fact, from the history of the development of Physics one quickly becomes aware that, regardless of the state of conceptual understanding, without quantitative reasoning Physics would have not reached the state of development it has today. Correspondingly, quantitative reasoning and problem solving skills are a desirable outcomes from the process of teaching and learning of physics. Thus, supported by results from published research, we will show evidence that a well structured problem solving strategy taught as a dynamical process offers a feasible way for students to learn physics quantitatively and conceptually, while helping them to reach the state of an Adaptive Expert highly skillful on innovation and efficiency, a desired outcome from the perspective of a Preparation for Future Learning approach of the process of teaching and learning Physics effectively.