Students' Experience of Cultural Differences Between Mathematics and Physics

Abstract: How students use mathematics in their physics classes has been studied extensively in the physics education literature. In addition to specific mathematical methods in specific physics contexts, possible effects of more general "cultural" differences between the two disciplines have also been explored. However, there has been little examination of students' own awareness and interpretation of these differences. We explore the undergraduate student experience of these "cultural" contrasts, focusing on how they impact learning and problem-solving. Through a qualitative study, including surveys and interviews with students double-majoring in mathematics and physics (or majoring in one and minoring in the other), we investigate students' awareness of distinct pedagogical approaches, mathematical justifications, and organization of concepts in mathematics versus physics classes. We find that students do recognize and navigate these "cultural" differences, often employing specific coping strategies. We identify specific themes from our data and comment on how students feel that these themes impact their learning. We suggest that increased faculty and student awareness of the identified differences in educational practice could facilitate knowledge transfer between mathematics and physics.