Learning physics as a whole – On supporting students making sense of their studies

Abstract

How do students in a university degree programme make sense of their situation, and how can we as teachers support them in seeing their learning as a whole in relation to their main subject physics? This question is discussed first in relation to an empirical investigation of students’ ways of making sense of their study situation, and secondly draws on experience from two attempts to address issues emerging from that investigation. Based on the results we identify issues that potentially need addressing in many science and engineering programmes that are organised around a set of courses given by subject specialists and where students’ choices of courses are limited. These issues primarily concern the authority for learning, the development of a “physics knowledge object” as a programme goal, and the risk that students ended up only focussing on features of the courses’ organisation to give meaning to their studies. Finally, we discuss ways to support students’ sense making, as a process of learning for the “college of teachers” in such programmes.