Physical Ability Measurement Research

Author: XU Peijun
Editor-in-Chief: YAN Jinduo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-03-01
Features: Preface to the Series
This series of books, starting from the publication of the first batch of Mathematical Learning Theory in March 1991, has now been in circulation for six years. If we count from the initial planning of the series on mathematical teaching theory in early 1988, it has spanned nine years. Today, the teaching theory series for five major subjects—Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Chinese, and Foreign Languages—have been fully developed, with 30 books in total (6 books per subject). The series is named Modern Educational Theory Book Series for Disciplines. With tens of millions of words, it has not only formed the fundamental theoretical research of basic disciplines but also established the core publishing project and distinctive educational theory publishing feature of our press. It has taken nearly a decade to construct a comprehensive set of educational theory books with Chinese characteristics. The twists and turns, joys and sorrows along the way are beyond words. However, in terms of reflecting teaching reform achievements and serving teaching reform, it is our bounden duty. From the perspective of shaping the publishing personality and culture of our press, it holds profound significance and great value. In the new historical period of reform and opening-up, what can sustain a publishing house? What can it compete with? What can drive its development? What can it contribute? There are many answers and numerous strategies, but the fundamental pillars are undoubtedly these two: one, a core project, and two, renowned premium products. The core project represents the strategic layout of a publishing house, while premium products embody its soul and life. Their perfect integration forms the foundation of a publishing house’s quality, credibility, reputation, and cultural standards. It is the basis of its existence, a means of competition, the driving force for sustainable development, the core of cultural accumulation, and the fundamental guarantee of contributing excellent culture to the people. With this understanding and pursuit, we have published this series. Of course, we also have several other series. We look forward to the readers’ judgment. We welcome the test of the market. We also long for the support of the educational and theoretical communities. We will continue to strive as always, doing our utmost to offer more premium products to education, the nation, and the future.
Guangxi Education Publishing House
Book Description
This book is a practical theoretical monograph on physics teaching research. Addressing the long-standing issues in teaching—such as vague indicators for ability cultivation, overly broad methods, and low efficiency—authors propose the laws of ability cultivation in physics teaching and a novel quantitative testing method for abilities under conditions of strong knowledge—the equivalent exclusion method—reflecting the new level of physics teaching research in China. The book incorporates over 50 concepts related to physics and mathematics, along with more than 40 self-defined concepts, establishing a coherent and self-consistent conceptual system across physics, education, psychology, logic, and thinking. The ideas are innovative, the theory is complete, the arguments are rigorous, and the methods are practical. This book serves as an invaluable resource for physics educators, middle school physics teachers, physics majors in teacher training institutions, as well as educators and teachers in other disciplines, offering fresh perspectives and research value.
Excerpt:
For example, people produce reflections in response to every actual physical observation activity. These reflections, when dispersed into the brain, become internalized. During the accumulation process, they are gradually analyzed, synthesized, compared, abstracted, and generalized, thereby concentrating the scattered accumulation into rational means for completing physical observations, such as observation steps and methods. Clearly, these belong to the logical determination model. These determined models remain internalized and are not expressed unless a similar observation task arises. However, when faced with similar physical observation tasks, they immediately manifest themselves, playing an active role in adaptation.
At the level of psychological characteristics, it is crucial to clarify the differences in connotation between "active reflection" and "passive reflection," as this holds theoretical significance for the research in this book. It allows us to move beyond the passive psychological phenomena to cultivate and measure the required psychological characteristics. Without this step, we would remain confined to the "internal" aspects of psychology. It is difficult to address macroscopically the absolute internal phenomena that lack external manifestations. Imagine the challenges physics would face in micro-studies without measurable macro-characteristic quantities.
Thus, this book introduces a new concept: the manifestation of physical ability. It refers to the definite patterns that originally exist in the brain and can be displayed during the implementation of physical ability. The content typically referred to as methods, procedures, ideas, or steps, as well as series of content structured by relatively stable interconnections, are all specific manifestations of these definite patterns. Analyzing the specific manifestations of physical ability’s externalization during its implementation (operation) reveals that these manifestations can directly reflect an individual’s strength in physical ability.
Taking physical observation ability as an example:
Assume an observer already possesses certain definite patterns stored in the brain for completing physical observations. When the observer decides to observe, they select, preliminarily test, determine, or adaptively apply these patterns, ultimately completing the observation task. In some cases, these definite patterns may simplify, significantly improving the smoothness of the observation. For instance, for familiar observation objects, the testing phase may be greatly shortened or even eliminated. Thus, the level of series in an individual’s brain, the richness, stability, and proficiency of these patterns, as well as their adaptive application, determine the strength of their physical observation ability.
Therefore, based on the concept of the manifestation of physical ability, this book defines another new concept: level of physical ability. It refers to the degree of stability, flexibility, and success achieved when an individual applies the manifestation of physical ability to complete a task.
The ability to externalize physical ability as definite patterns for completing tasks holds two significant meanings.
First, it indicates that physical ability can be cultivated by learning, establishing, and applying these patterns. Second, it indicates that physical ability can be measured by observing the differences in how individuals apply these patterns. The concept of the level of physical ability then provides the theoretical foundation for this measurement.
### Levels of Physical Ability
Different physical abilities have different manifestations, which essentially reflect the connotation of that specific ability. The term "manifestation" is used here to emphasize that it originally belongs to an internal state and can only be displayed during the implementation of the ability. However, to achieve the measurement of physical ability, discussing it solely from the connotation perspective is insufficient, as we must measure it during the specific process of its implementation, not just through methodological descriptions.
Therefore, we must also consider the main manifestations of physical ability. The measurement of physical ability involves two aspects: connotation and extension. Connotation refers to the manifestation of physical ability, while extension refers to the specific physical tasks that bear the manifestation of ability. Generally, it can be summarized as specific physical knowledge and practical problems.
First, note that the difficulty level, applicability range, and contributions of different manifestations (e.g., different methods) are not the same. For example, process observation requires perceiving changes in the observation object over time, which is more challenging than holistic observation. It is suitable for observing motion processes and may lead to the discovery of physical laws, while holistic observation typically only involves understanding the external structure of instruments.
Second, even for the same level of ability manifestation, the difficulty varies when dealing with different physical knowledge. For example, both using process observation, but observing uniformly accelerated motion versus observing the heating and boiling of liquids—the latter is significantly more challenging.
Thus, physical ability is hierarchical. It is related to the manifestation of ability as well as the physical tasks involved in its extension.