The conception of force and motion of students aged between 10 and 15 years: an interview study designed to guide instruction

An interview study with 36 students aged 10‐15 was conducted to identify features of the students' reasoning about horizontal and vertical motion. Seven tasks were used in the interviews. Each task presented the students with an example of motion in a particular context. Students' descriptions and explanations of the motions were explored. Commonly occurring features in students' reasoning about motion were identified. These are reported in this paper. In most respects the prior conceptions identified in the study correspond with those reported elsewhere (for example the conception of a force ‘in’ a moving object). Reasoning about vertical motion appeared to differ in some respects from horizontal motion. Acceleration and deceleration phases of motion appeared to require different kinds of explanation by students. There was little evidence for any change with age in the conceptions used.