Transforming Undergraduate Introductory Physics Laboratory to Eliminate Misunderstanding of its Goals

Abstract

The scientist productions for the 21stcentury have to think like scientists and construct knowledge like scientists for students, so are goals of the introductory Physics laboratory. The purposes of this research were to study the student’s misunderstanding on the goals of the introductory Physics laboratory
and develop think like physicists lesson. We examined 40 Maejo University students who registered PH102 (Basic Physics) course in the 2nd semester of the academic year 2016. This research was conducted through diagnostic questions for the goal and were developed of the undergraduate lab and think like
physicists lesson. Interviews and collected to evaluate the student’s misunderstanding. We found that students had misunderstanding about the learning goals in the laboratory for the student to link theory
and practice and to learn experimental skill by following lab direction. Physics knowledge is built by only physicists. After using the lesson, we found that lesson was effectiven. Students understand that the laboratory course goal will get students to start thinking like physicists by constructing knowledge that
make them aware and feel confidente that they can construct knowledge in the same way as physicists do