"Never at rest": developing a conceptual framework for definitions of "force" in physics textbooks

TL;DR

This study develops a framework categorizing how physics textbooks define 'force', revealing multiple definitions that may contribute to student misconceptions and learning difficulties in classical physics.

Contribution

It introduces an inductively developed framework of eight categories for defining 'force' in physics textbooks, highlighting inconsistencies affecting student understanding.

Findings

Textbooks present multiple definitions of 'force'.

Inconsistencies in definitions may hinder student learning.

Framework based on analysis of Norwegian upper secondary textbooks.

Abstract

The concept of "force" is abstract and challenging for many physics students, and many studies have revealed misconceptions that hinder students' understanding and learning in classical physics. One reason for this may be that physics textbooks do not define the concept of force in concise and consistent ways. In the present study, we have investigated how "force" is defined in physics textbooks used in upper secondary schools in Norway, and present a framework of eight categories for how the concept is defined. The framework is developed inductively from textbooks, and motivated and discussed in light of how the concept has developed historically in physics. Examples from one of the textbooks that constituted the empirical basis for the framework are given. These reveal that textbooks may present students for a multiplicity of definitions of "force" and hence contribute to students' challenges in learning and using the concept.