The Performance of Teacher Trainees on Linear Momentum Concept

Abstract

Linear momentum is one of the fundamental concepts in physics, especially in mechanics. However, studies have shown that students have not been given enough conditions to inquire sufficiently into phenomena such as collisions that involve momentum. For example, in Ghana the Chief Examiners of integrated science at the Institute of Education, University of Cape Coast indicated strongly that momentum is a concept most teacher trainees had not mastered. In view of this, we investigated linear momentum concept and teacher-trainee performance in four Colleges of Education using cross-sectional survey design. The findings were that the teacher trainees across the four Colleges performed creditably well in the definition of momentum but performed very poorly in the applications of momentum, change in momentum, conservation of momentum and collision. It is, therefore, recommended that Colleges of Education teacher trainees should spend more time on the application aspects of the linear momentum concept.