Research on Student Learning of Foundational Concepts in Galilean and Relativistic Kinematics: The Role of Operational Definitions

Abstract

The Principle of Relativity, articulated by Galileo and refined by Einstein, connects in profound ways to nearly all theoretical frameworks in physics. Galilean and special relativity serve as compelling topics of instruction in their own right, while also providing stepping stones for deeper understanding in mechanics, electricity and magnetism, and other domains. While the mathematical background needed for initial study in relativity is modest, profoundly rich and counterintuitive concepts and reasoning are immediately and meaningfully accessible. The teaching and learning of relativity has engaged scholars in university-level discipline-based education research, in K-12 science education, and in the learning sciences. A recent comprehensive review of the literature [Alstein et al., “Teaching and learning special relativity theory in secondary and lower undergraduate education: A literature review,” Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 17(2), 023101 (2021)] promotes a learning progression often used in teaching relativity, reviews difficulties students encounter when learning Galilean and special relativity at the secondary and lower undergraduate levels, discusses teaching approaches that have been developed at these levels, and describes research tools that have been used to probe students” conceptual understanding. The existence of this very recent review obviates the need for a new one. In this chapter, we make instead the case for a missing piece to the learning progression in the literature. We share results from investigations on student understanding of Galilean and special relativity that suggest that difficulties identified in the literature can be traced to difficulties with operational definitions of basic (by which we mean foundational, not easy) quantities. In the process, we amend Alstein et al.'s otherwise excellent work, and highlight several rich interview and written tasks that have been quite productive in eliciting student thinking in research and instructional settings. We also build on extant work to propose future directions for research in this area.