Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

Re: Calif. Physics Certification (YUK)



Just because a student who has had HS Physics does not do better in an intro
college class does not mean the HS class did no good. Interest as a result
of the HS class may be the reason the student signed up of College Physics at
all. In some cases the student may do no better because they will get an A
either way. A student who has had HS Physics may also tend to coast a bit in
an intro college class. Many colleges advise students not to repeat courses
they have had in HS just for this reason.

On Tue, 22 Jul 1997 08:57:07 -0600 Jim Green said:

The recent article on the subject in "The Physics Teacher" (last month?)
indicated that taking HS Physics made little difference in college level
performance in introductory Physics compared to those who had not had Physics
(in HS). The experience and training of the HS teacher did not appear to
have much impact (if I remember correctly).

Well, I suspect that taking *any* HS course has much impact on the later
success in the corresponding college course. I am amazed at what entering
college students don't know. I concluded at one point that my college
students didn't know what it meant to "do homework". I asked this class by
show of hands how many had done regular homework at home when in HS. One
student raised her hand. HS seems simply to be a mechanism to keep the kids
safely off the street and and provide a social gathering place until they
are 18 yr old.