Faculty of Physics - University of Bucharest

UNIVERSITY OF BUCHAREST
FACULTY OF PHYSICS

Guest
2026-06-11 23:58

HOME CONFERENCES SEARCH LOGIN NEW USER IMAGES

Conference: Bucharest University Faculty of Physics 2026 Meeting

Title:

The Correlation Between the Understanding of Physical Phenomena and Mathematical Competencies for Lower Secondary School Pupils

Authors:

Emanuela-Andreea OVADIUC (1), Silvia FĂT (2), Roxana ZUS (1)

Affiliation:

1) Faculty of Physics, University of Bucharest

2) Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Bucharest

E-mail

emanuela-andreea.ovadiuc@s.unibuc.ro

Keywords:

conceptual understanding in physics, mathematical skills, interdisciplinary transfer, curricular desynchronization, students' attitudes towards mathematics and physics, academic performance

Abstract:

The paper aims to investigate the relationship between students’ mathematical skills and their ability to understand and solve physics problems. The research is based on the idea that mathematics represents an essential tool in the study of physics, and that part of the difficulties encountered by students in physics are generated by insufficient mathematical competencies [1, 2, 3] rather than the the lack of conceptual understanding. The study was conducted on middle school students from the 6th and 8th grades using mathematics and physics assessment tests, as well as a questionnaire focused on students’ perceptions regarding the connection between the two subjects. The tests evaluated competencies such as numerical calculations, unit conversions, proportional reasoning, and the application of physical formulas. The questionnaire investigated the difficulties students encounter when solving physics problems and the way they perceive the role of mathematics in understanding physical phenomena. The results of the research highlight a clear correlation between students’ performance in mathematics and their performance in physics. Students with well-developed mathematical competencies solved physics problems more efficiently and interpreted physical relationships more accurately. The study also revealed the impact of curricular desynchronization between mathematics and physics, as students are sometimes required to use mathematical notions in physics before these are fully studied or consolidated in mathematics classes.

References:

1] Chen, J., Zhao, Q., & Huang, Y. (2021). Research on the correlation between mathematics and physics of the senior high school students. Mathline: Jurnal Matematika Dan Pendidikan Matematika, 6(1), 70-80.

[2] Chen, J., Pereira, J., Zhou, Y., Li, X., Tamur, M., & Syaharuddin, S. (2021). The Correlation between Mathematics and Physics Achievement of Senior High School Students. Tarbawi: Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan, 17(1), 14-26.

[3] Tong, J., et al. (2024). Exploring the Effect of Mathematics Skills on Student Performance in Physics Problem-Solving: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis. Research in Science Education.