Conceptual Change in Mechanics of Materials

Conceptual change theories rely on data from disciplines outside of engineering, such as physics and astronomy, making the application of these theories to engineering a testable transition. There are diverse approaches to conceptual change theories, largely focused on the structure and size of knowledge. In this work we analyzed a large interview data set from a diverse set of topics in mechanics of materials and considered our data in light of Stella Vosniadou's 'Framework Theory' of conceptual change. Concepts investigated in interview data include shear and normal stress in axial loads and beams. We examine the following misconception from our data: stresses only occur in the direction of an applied load. A theoretical explanation is attempted for this misconception in terms of epistemological and ontological presuppositions from Vosniadou's theory. We suggest that students have extensive experience with objects moving and stretching in the direction they are pushed or pulled and these cultural experiences lead to an ontological/epistemological presupposition that objects behave as students have seen them behave.