The effect of motion analysis activities in a video-based laboratory in students' understanding of position, velocity and frames of reference

In this article, we present the results of a qualitative research project on the effect of motion analysis activities in a Video-Based Laboratory (VBL) on students' understanding of position, velocity and frames of reference. The participants in our research were 48 pre-service teachers enrolled in Education Departments with no previous strong science or mathematics background. VBLs are presented in the context of a category of technology tools that allow the analysis of motion events for educational purposes followed by a review of literature regarding the use of VBL in science education. The qualitative methodology that we undertook is presented and justified and the results of our study are stated, escorted by selected and detailed dialogue extracts from our interviews with the participating students. The outcomes of our research are discussed and found to be positive and some implications for further research are stated.