Prior to any formal instruction in physics, students have a great deal of experience that is relevant to the study of physics. They have interacted with the physical world, pushing and pulling, squeezing and pouring. They have talked about the physical world as part of everyday discourse. And they have acquired bits and pieces of more ‘‘formal’’ physics knowledge from the popular media as well as from earlier science instruction.
Research has documented that all of this experience leads to the development of a substantial body of knowledge concerning the physical world