Gruppdiskussioner runt kontextrika problem i fysik – Hur ska problemen utformas?

Sammendrag

In this paper we look at the use of group discussions around context-rich problems in physics. We wanted to investigate what context is interesting and what other circumstances do influence students’ interest in solving context-rich problems during group discussions. Students in two upper secondary schools had the opportunity to choose among 4-5 problems at three physics lectures. They motivated their choice in a questionnaire and some of the students were interviewed after the problem solving sessions. The students appreciated problems which were reality-based and related to their own experiences. How the question was formulated was also important. Besides the formulation of the problem there are also a lot of other circumstances that are important for a good problem solving session. Students must have enough time and the degree of difficulty of the problems is of great importance. Successful students in well functioning groups want challenging problems while other students emphasise the importance of being able to solve the problem and therefore choose easier and in their own opinion less interesting problems.