A hierarchical model of the development of student understanding of force

This paper describes how the authors have applied an approach that they had previously used with momentum to form a set of hierarchies that model students’ development of the concept of force. The approach used is set out and the results obtained described. There is a clear link between the development of understanding and the ‘force in the direction of motion’ misconception or preconception. The model shows that as students move from a view dominated by this misconception or preconception to a Newtonian view, they pass through a number of intermediate stages. It also shows how many students have not reached the higher levels of understanding, before they go on to consider applications of Newton's laws.