PHYSICS AT THE THEME PARK: Providing the authentic real-life experiential learning tool in enhancing students’ understanding of conceptual and contextual applications of the laws of Physics.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of a theme park setting that will provide a unique opportunity to facilitate a student’s understanding of Physics. The study also aims to validate and accredit the theme park as the authentic real-life experiential learning tool in enhancing students’ understanding of conceptual and contextual applications of the laws of Physics. In the study, students are engaged in activities whereby they can verify the validity of many physics formulas, experience effects that are essentially counter-intuitive and develop a new experimental basis for determining whether an answer calculated in a classroom makes sense.

The sample consisted of two groups of students: One group of fifty 17 year olds of mixed ability (MXA17), all of whom possesses prior knowledge of basic laws of physics, while another group of twenty-five 15 year olds of high abilities (HA15), all of whom possesses minimal prior knowledge of basic laws of physics. The findings of this study suggest that a theme park offers real world experiences that can permanently alter the way in which a student perceives the laws of physics.

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