Motion and Forces in Everyday Life: Practical Applications for Engineering Students in Ambato.

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between contextualized teaching practices and achievement in motion and forces topics within general physics courses in engineering programs at higher education centers in Ambato. A quantitative, non‑experimental, cross‑sectional design was used with a sample of 382 students enrolled in Physics I and II, selected through intentional and voluntary sampling from students in different engineering programs. Student self-reported academic performance data (partial and final grades in kinematics and dynamics units, anonymously declared) were combined with a questionnaire measuring the frequency of everyday‑life examples, the intensity of practical activities (laboratories, on‑campus experiments, use of mobile phones as sensors and virtual simulators), perceived relevance, and physics self‑efficacy. Findings show that everyday‑life examples are used moderately often, with a focus on mountain transportation, structures and sports, but less systematic reference to local industrial processes and urban phenomena in Ambato. Participation in practical activities is positively associated with achievement in motion and forces, with in‑person laboratories and campus‑based experiments playing a central role, whereas the use of mobile sensors and virtual laboratories remains limited. Physics self‑efficacy emerges as the strongest predictor of performance, and regression analyses indicate that self‑efficacy, practical activities and contextualized examples together explain about 31% of the variance in grades. The study concludes that strengthening the use of the local Ambato environment, consolidating active methodologies and designing targeted interventions to enhance physics self‑efficacy—particularly for first‑time and repeating students—are key strategies to improve learning of motion and forces.