“I think I know it, but I’m not sure”: How pre-service teachers blend conceptual physics problems into solution frameworks

The purpose with this study was to investigate the challenges faced by second-year pre-service teachers when integrating conceptual physics problems into solution frameworks. The main goal was to understand the complexities involved in this integration process, specifically exploring how pre-service teachers drew upon different levels of knowledge taxonomy (factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive) and the difficulties they encountered at each level when blending conceptual problems into solution frameworks. By categorising the difficulties encountered into minor (D1), major (D2), and atypical (D3) challenges, I aimed to shed light on the effectiveness of different teaching approaches in addressing these challenges. To evaluate pre-service teacher performance, I employed a pre- and post-test control-group design to compare 2 learning conditions: traditional lecture-based instruction and the SPSE (situation, problem, solution, evaluation) blended model in a 6-week advanced physics course for pre-service teachers. Pre-test and post-test data were collected using the conceptual physics problems test (CPPT), and written responses to blended conceptual problems were graded using a moderated memorandum and analysed quantitatively. The results provide evidence of the effectiveness of the SPSE blended model. In particular, performance on tasks categorised as D2 and D3 improved significantly among pre-service teachers who followed the SPSE blended model compared to those who followed the lecture-based approach. However, I found no significant differences in performance on tasks designated as D1 between the two groups. This suggests that while the blended model enhances learning for solving certain types of conceptual problems, it may not universally apply to all types of tasks. Further investigation may be necessary to understand the nuances of how different learning models impact the blending of conceptual physics problems into solution frameworks among pre-service teachers.