Classical physics and human embodiment: The role of contemplative practice in integrating formal theory and personal experience in the undergraduate physics curriculum
Zosia A. C. Krusberg, Meredith J. Ward
arXiv Preprint Archive April 16, 2018 preprint
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study |
|---|---|
| Population | Undergraduate physics students |
| Interventions | sensory meditation contemplative videography |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Physics.ed-ph Physics education Physics pedagogy Science teaching Contemplative practices Sensory awareness Experiential learning Embodied understanding Practical application Real-world physics Student motivation Engagement Curiosity Intrinsic motivation |
| Key findings | Contemplative practices helped students connect formal physics principles to personal experience, fostering embodiment, sensory awareness, curiosity, and metacognitive insight. |
Abstract
One of the objectives of the undergraduate physics curriculum is for students to become aware of the connections between the fundamental principles of classical physics and their personal experience. Nonetheless, numerous studies have shown that students' awareness of such connections tends to deteriorate, sometimes substantially, following instruction. In this work, which constitutes the first analysis of the effects of contemplative practices on the learning experience in undergraduate physics courses, we present two practices aimed at integrating formal theory with students' personal, embodied experience: a sensory meditation and a contemplative videography. In written reflections on their experiences with the practices, the students expressed suddenly becoming aware of countless manifestations of formal physics principles in their surroundings, in an important step toward establishing firm connections between the abstract and the experiential. Furthermore, the students reported experiencing a sense of physical embodiment, heightened sensory awareness, somatic relaxation, and mental stillness, in significant contrast to their typical experience. Students also described experiencing insight about the essential role of observation in the scientific endeavor, a reawakened sense of curiosity, an intrinsic motivation to understand the observed physical phenomena, and a deepened awareness of their cognitive and emotional processes.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.