Abstract
The concept of equilibrium of forces is fundamental in the field of physics and engineering, serving as a cornerstone for understanding the stability and motion of objects. This abstract aims to provide a conceptual understanding of equilibrium of forces by exploring the principles and applications of this fundamental concept. Equilibrium of forces refers to the state in which the net force acting on an object is zero, resulting in a balanced condition where the object remains at rest or moves with constant velocity. The concept of equilibrium is governed by Newton's first law of motion, which states that an object will remain in its current state of motion unless acted upon by an external force. In this abstract, we delve into the key components of equilibrium, including the resolution of forces into their components, the calculation of resultant forces, and the conditions for static equilibrium. By examining real-world examples and practical applications, we illustrate how the concept of equilibrium of forces is essential for analyzing structures, designing mechanisms, and predicting the behavior of systems. Through a comprehensive exploration of equilibrium principles, this abstract aims to enhance the reader's understanding of the fundamental concepts underlying the equilibrium of forces, highlighting its significance in various fields of science and engineering.
Keywords: Equilibrium of Forces, Force Balance, Static Equilibrium, Mechanical Equilibrium, Physics Concepts
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
1.2 Statement of the problem
1.3 Purpose of the Study
1.4 Research Questions
1.5 Hypothesis
1.6 Scope of the study
1.7 Significance of the study
1.8 Operational Definitions of Terms
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 Theoretical Framework
2.2 Conceptual Review
2.3 Review of Empirical Studies
2.4 Summary of Reviewed of Literature
CHAPTER THREE: METHOD
3.1 Research Design
3.2 Population of the Study
3.3 Sample and Sampling Techniques
3.4 Instrument for data collection
3.5 Validity of the instrument
3.6 Reliability of the instrument
3.7 Administration of the test
3.8 Method of data collection
3.9 Method of data analysis
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULT AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Result
4.2 Discussion
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Summary
5.2 Conclusion
5.3 Limitations of the Study
5.4 Contributions to Knowledge
5.5 Recommendations
5.6 Suggestions for further studies
REFERENCES
APPENDIX A
APPENDIX B
DIAGNOSTIC TEST ON SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ CONCEPTION OF EQUILIBRIUM OF FORCES IN PHYSICS
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
Cognitive approach to learning is based on the belief that students construct their own understanding of concepts by expanding or modifying their existing views. In relating this to the cognitive levels (lower and higher), their level of understanding is completely different and so the existing knowledge plays an important role because new knowledge will be added to it. Therefore, it is necessary to identify students’ conceptions of learning in different domains.
Conception refers to an idea or understanding formed in the mind. Students’ conceptions are the ideas or understanding they have of a concept.
Physics is basic for understanding the complexities of modern technology and essential for technological advancement of a nation. This aspect of science is making significant contributions to many of the inventions that are shaping modern day and has helped to explain many of the events being encountered in everyday life. The role physics plays in the technological advancement of the nation is crucial and so it is necessary for students to have good knowledge of the subject for future technological developments to thrive.
The goal of physics is to provide the students with a broad understanding of the physical principles of the universe, to help them develop critical thinking and quantitative reasoning skills, to empower them to think creatively and critically about scientific problems. The Senior Secondary School Physics curriculum contain many concepts which clearly means that physics is a broad and complex subject. If students lack good knowledge of these concepts, it affects their performance which becomes a problem as they progress to higher levels.
The nature of physics problems are sometimes very vague, the concepts in physics are vaguely explained in languages not easily comprehended by the students. The way physics concepts are taught is very important in building good conceptions, if teachers can adopt appropriate teaching strategies they will be appropriately guided to carefully select methods of teaching to enhance the understanding of physics concepts.
Despite it’s importance, physics remains the least favored science subject among students generally. Compared to other science subjects, only a few students choose to study physics at O-level and subsequently, at higher degrees. In Nigeria universities for example, physics department and Teacher Education in physics continue to witness paucity of students, which is the reason there is serious shortage of physics teachers in secondary schools. More often than not, physics is taught by teachers who specialize in science other than physics (Erinosho 2013).
Students learn best what they find understandable, the idea or understanding they posses can influence their understanding and learning process. Lack of conceptions can hinder their progress in learning physics concepts. This can lead to implications for producing physicists that are needed for shaping technological development.
Resultant and equilibrant forces, parallel forces, moment of a force (torque); center of gravity and equilibrium, law of flotation are important concepts contained in Equilibrium of forces. It is important that students have good knowledge on each of these concept by applying good pedagogical processes. Hence they should be taught by illustrating the principle of moments and give worked examples and lead discussion of the application of law of flotation.
If students don’t have proper learning of equilibrium of forces it’ll affect their progress as they advance to higher levels in physics. This may lead to shortage of physics teachers and physicists because they would not want to continue studying what they cannot comprehend. The poor performance in physics among secondary school students in WAEC is a clear indication that students don’t have good knowledge of the concepts in physics.
A report by the chief Registrar/Chief Executive of the council, Prof. Promise M. Okpala decried the poor performance of students in Physics. He attributed the mass failure in external examination to lack of good and quality teaching on the part of the teachers, nonchalance in terms of learning on the part of the students, among other factors. This observation may be due to poor conceptions students have in physics concepts. The idea or understanding they have that physics is difficult makes it hard for them to perform excellently in these examinations.
Initial ideas held by students are very difficult to change by teachers despite being presented with scientific concepts (Tsai, 1999; Senear Eryilmaz, 2004). As students learn, they move from naive or intuitive state of understanding or conception to more acceptable conceptions. For many years now, a plethora of studies have been documenting the importance of prior knowledge, ideas, or preconceptions students hold towards certain concepts in physics. In the present study, we focus on the conceptions they have on equilibrium of forces. Newton’s first law of motion states that if an object is at rest, then the forces acting upon it must balance; this is the definition of equilibrium of forces. A force is a vector quantity which means it has both a magnitude (size) and a direction associated with it. If the size and direction of the forces acting on an object are exactly balanced then there is no net force acting on the object and the object is said to be in equilibrium.
Ogunneye, (2007) suggested that if teachers of physics adopt appropriate teaching strategies and conduct research or make use of research finding on the area of learning difficulties of the students in physics, they will be appropriately guided to carefully select methods of teaching to enhance the understanding of physics concepts and thus be able to remove the difficulties of the students. In addition, applying the relevant information obtained from a good educational research work or conducted research will guide the teacher in selecting acceptable teaching methodologies that will improve the student knowledge on physics concepts.
The independent variable in this study is the students conceptual understanding which exist in their minds before formal learning is conducted. Promoting conceptual understanding involves shifting their conceptions towards more scientific ones. The performance of the students is dependent on how well the students understood the concepts; it is identified as the dependent variable. Eventually with respect to the studies presented, this study aims at obtaining true and false conceptions of students in Equilibrium of forces in physics.
1.2 Statement of the problem
Physics is a subject offered at the SSS level in Nigerian Schools as specified in the curriculum. It consists of many concepts inclusive of Equilibrium of forces. An analysis of students performance in WASSCE physics between 2014 and 2016 in Yenagoa shows that an average of 15.63% of the students who sat for the examination obtained credits. The high failure rate has become a problem for the Government, educators and parents at large. The achievements of physics is very important in a nation as it contributes greatly in the technological development. The failure rate needs to addressed in order to avoid paucity for future technological developments, which leads us to this questions; Could it be as a result of the difficult nature of physics? Could it be that the method of teaching was not favourable? This present study aims at providing insights that would promote conceptual understanding of the concepts.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study is to investigate students’ conceptual understanding of equilibrium of forces.
The specific objectives are to
- Find out students conceptions of equilibrium of forces at the lower cognitive levels.
- Find out the students conceptions of equilibrium of forces at the higher cognitive levels.
- Determine the conception of male and female in equilibrium of forces at lower and higher cognitive levels.
1.4 Research Questions
The following research questions guided the study
- What is students’ conception of equilibrium of forces at the lower cognitive levels?
- What is students’ conception of equilibrium of forces at the higher cognitive levels?
- What is the influence of gender in the conception of equilibrium of forces at different cognitive levels (lower and higher)?
1.5 Hypothesis
H01: There is no significant difference between students conception of equilibrium of forces at the lower cognitive levels.
H02¬: There is no significant difference between students conception of equilibrium of forces at the higher cognitive levels.
H03: There is no significant difference between students conception of equilibrium of forces based on gender (male and female).
1.6 Scope of the study
This study is limited to SS3 students. It focused only on a topic in physics (equilibrium of forces) in private schools in Yenagoa. It involves identifying the conceptions of students understanding in equilibrium of forces in physics at the higher and lower levels of Bloom’s cognitive levels.
1.7 Significance of the study
This study will be significant to the students as it'll help them have a better knowledge of equilibrium of forces. It is thus hoped that this study will help identify conceptual difficulty of students. This will be of benefit to physics teachers, curriculum planners and physics stakeholders. The teacher will know how to prepare his/her lessons for the achievement of the students conception. It’ll enable the planners to plan the curriculum in a way that the pedagogical approach to the teaching of physics will be improved.
1.8 Operational Definitions of Terms
Physics - is a natural science that studies matter, it's motion and behavior through space and time and the related entities of energy and force.
Equilibrium - The state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero. It is also defined as when the total of the forces acting is zero. If an object is at equilibrium, then the forces are balanced.
Force - It is that which can cause an object with mass to change it's velocity. It is a vector quantity, which has both magnitude and direction. It is any influence that when unopposed will change the motion of an object.
Conception - An image, idea formed in the mind; a concept, plan or design.
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