LOGICAL ANALYSIS OF IDEAS ABOUT A CONCEPT OF “THE RESULT OF LABORATORY WORK”

Abstract

To create a special introductory one-semester laboratory physics course “Search for physics laws” the authors have analyzed the existing views on a concept of “the result of a laboratory work”, and offered their classification. Five classes of paradigms the existing views are based on have been found: the naive-point paradigm, point par- adigm, syncretic paradigm, training-interval paradigm, interval paradigm. The first of them can be described as “the result of exactly performed single measurement is the true value of the measurand”. For university students thinking within the naive-point paradigm should be considered as a rudiment. Before studying physics the level of first-year university students corresponds to the level of the point paradigm. For the final level of the introductory laboratory physics course “Search for physics laws” it is proposed to choose the level of the training-interval par- adigm. The following principles are offered for achieving this educational goal: a) the basic principles of the train- ing-interval paradigm should be formulated at the first lesson as deep as possible and vividly interpreted; b) it is necessary to strictly adhere to this system of views during next lessons; c) intuitively understandable interpretation should be given to all abstract mathematical concepts. Besides, the reason for the ineffectiveness of the learning
process which is based on the syncretic paradigm is indicated in the article.