TEACHING ABOUT ROLLING MOTION: EXPLORING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN EXTREME CASE REASONING APPROACH

Earlier research has shown that students have tremendous difficulties with understanding certain aspects of rolling without slipping, such as the zero-velocity at the contact point and plausibility of application of the law of conservation of mechanical energy despite action of the friction force. The aim of this research was to explore whether using analogies and reasoning about extreme cases can facilitate conceptualization of the above-mentioned phenomena. A pre-test – post-test quasi-experiment has been conducted, with 93 students in the control group (CG) and 91 students in the experimental group (EG). Whereas control group students received conventional teaching, in the experimental group rolling of a cylinder has been considered as a special case of a tumbling prism for which the number of prism surfaces tended to infinity. The results of analysis of covariance showed that students from the experimental group significantly outperformed their peers from the control group on the Rolling Motion Concept Test (RMCT). Between-group differences were greater on test items that required higher level of cognitive transfer. This research suggests that using analogies and extreme case reasoning can facilitate comprehension of certain seemingly counterintuitive aspects of rolling motion.