EdithYan

Xiaomei (Edith) Yan

Edith is a registered graduate student in the Faculty of Education. Her project is about:

Girls' experiences of learning physics through computer-supported learning

Her research concerns the experience of girls in upper secondary science classes where ICT is used to teach physics topics. The rationale for this focus derives from the conjunction of three important educational issues, each of which has separately been the subject of research:

a) that the use of ICT in teaching in science (as in other subjects) has been increasing in recent years, encouraged by government policy and funding, and supported by research suggesting that ICT can enhance teaching and learning in significant ways;
b) that there are gender differences in attitudes to and modes of working with computers and other related technology in ICT-supported classes;
c) that there are gender differences in attitudes to studying physics, which lead to few girls opting to continue with the subject at the end of compulsory schooling.

These three themes lead to a general question of whether changes brought by ICT that are intended to improve educational experiences for students may actually lead to girls having less positive learning experiences in physics where their confidence and interest is already problematic.

To contact Edith by email: xy238@cam.ac.uk

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* Dr. Keith S. Taber teaches in the Faculty of Education at the University of Cambridge. He supervises student research projects in aspects of teaching and learning science. His interests include topics such as: conceptual development in science, 'misconceptions', alternative conceptions, intermediate conceptions, conceptual frameworks, conceptual resources for learning (p-prims etc), aspects of student conceptual structure (manifold conceptions, stability, coherence of ideas etc.) in science, models in teaching and learning science, aspects of language in teaching and learning science (analogy, metaphor, tautology, anthropomorphism), conceptual progression and integration, learning pathways / trajectories, explanations in science, the relationship between the sciences and schools science, teaching and learning about the nature of science, teaching the gifted/highly able in science, scaffolding learning in science, constructivism in science education, the development of a progressive research programme into learning science…

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