Investigation on teaching and learning mechanics in the terminal scientist classes of Burkina Faso secondary schools

Teachers, learners and Physics inspectors are concerned by the poor performance of learners in mechanics in class context and in their year-end results. The year-end results show 35.9% in 2010 and 46.6% in 2011 as percentage of success in physics due to their poor performance in mechanics. Based on these observations, our research question can be expressed: Why after several years of teaching and learning mechanics, scientific senior learners of Burkina Faso secondary schools are uncomfortable in mechanics? For the investigation, twelve class situations have been observed with three teachers. On the other hand hundred and forty three students’ productions have been analysed after their evaluation. Two research hypotheses have been set and guide our research: (1) Students of terminal scientists are not able to appropriate and integrate concepts and laws of kinematics and dynamics in problem solving and (2) The lack of mastery of content in kinematics and dynamics by students is due to their lack of mastery of mathematics tools. The present study showed that teachers did not take into account students’ misconceptions and did not practice teacher-students and/or students-students interactions in class. They did not also practice interdisciplinary. Students’ productions analysis showed that their poor performance also came from their incapability to contextualize their mathematics knowledge in physics and/or their difficulty to correctly use frames and vectors.