The role of the use of concept representations in the difficulties of their understanding: the case of the electric field

In Physics Education Research, it is important to study the difficulties in understanding abstract concepts. To develop the understanding of electromagnetism, it is fundamental that students understand the field concept. The study aims to contribute a methodology that combines phenomenography and the theory of registers of semiotic representations to analyze students’ difficulties understanding the electric field concept in relation to the conversion between representations. We conducted a study with 64 university students using questionnaires with conversion tasks between three electric field representations: the algebraic notation, the vector field plot, and the electric field lines diagram. We analyzed students’ explanations with a phenomenographic approach and the theory of registers of semiotic representations to create the categories. We found that the difficulties of recognition are associated with the magnitude of the electric field, more than its direction. There is good recognition in the conversions between the vector field plot and the algebraic notation. In the conversions that involve electric field lines, there were difficulties of recognition and conversion. As a result of this study, we recommend that the teaching of the electric field concept should focus on the recognition of the electric field characteristics in each representation and the conversion between representations.

Keywords:
Semiotic representations; electricity and magnetism; phenomenography; higher education; physics education research; STEM education