School of Psychology & Counselling banner image

You are here

  1. Home
  2. Katherine Langford

Katherine Langford

Professional Biography:

profile picture of Katherine Langford

I am a PhD researcher in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. I am researching how secondary school students develop an understanding of tricky topics in physics.

My supervisors are Professor Anne Adams, Dr Claire Hewson and Professor Eileen Scanlon.

Research Interest:

Teaching science is sometimes difficult. Physics is generally accepted to be particularly tricky as it deals with abstract concepts which are often counterintuitive. Students do not passively absorb the information they are taught. They have their own thoughts and ideas which influence their learning. For example, sometimes students reject the scientific concepts they are taught in preference of keeping their own incorrect theories. Often teachers do not understand why students struggle with particular topics and it can be very difficult to get rid of students’ misconceptions once they have them.

I am researching how students’ understanding of tricky physics topics develops. I am examining which physics topics students find especially tricky and why. In particular, I am looking for any patterns in the way students’ understanding develops. For example, what common misconceptions students have and if they have lay theories which can be used as anchoring conceptions (intuitive ideas that are scientifically correct which can be built on to help students understand more complex concepts). I will also be examining how students’ surface understanding (e.g. rote memorisation) and deep understanding (e.g. the ability to apply knowledge to solve novel problems) interact.

Word cloud of the interviews I conducted with six physics teachers about the topics students find tricky.

Word cloud of the interviews I conducted with six physics teachers about the topics students find tricky.

Publications:

External Links:

Blog Articles:

Request your prospectus

Request a prospectus icon

Explore our qualifications and courses by requesting one of our prospectuses today.

Request prospectus

Are you already an OU student?

Go to StudentHome