ABSTRACT
Are most students in physics courses acquiring a sound conceptual grasp of basic physics principles? For many years physicists teaching basic courses have believed that they are, but those doing research in physics education have been convinced that they are not. Although a Newtonian framework is essential to understanding non-relativistic (and later relativistic) motion, it is common for more than 80% of students to answer most questions from a non-Newtonian point of view after an introductory physics course. The beginning of a consensus building process about the results of standard instruction and about pedagogical solutions was made by physicists involved in research in physics education at a meeting entitled “The New Mechanics” at Tufts University in August of 1992. The international NATO Workshop resulted in substantial agreement on ways physics teaching could be altered to improve student learning and the conclusions have stood the test of time and research.
