Analyzing patterns in experts' approaches to solving experimental problems

Abstract

Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE) is a learning system, developed based on the history and philosophy of physics and observations of the work of scientists constructing new knowledge. It engages students in learning physics through processes that physicists use in their work. The processes form the so-called ISLE cycle-a logical progression of different steps from observation to testing. Research in this thesis investigates whether the physicists do indeed use the elements of ISLE while solving problems and also follow the logic of the ISLE cycle. We approached this issue with an experimental problem that was sufficiently novel to the experts so that they could employ the reasoning that they commonly use in their work. This research project is a comparison of four different case studies. Three case studies were conducted with pairs of expert scientists and one was conducted with students, who were videotaped while solving the same problem from geometrical optics. With the help of different graphical representations of the problem solving processes of the subjects we showed that not only scientists, but also students follow the transitions of the steps present in the ISLE cycle, although the experts were considerably stronger than the students. In addition, we observed that the students' problem solving approach in time became more similar to the one of scientists. It is possible that the logic of the ISLE cycle does not only come from the practice of scientists, but is a natural, inner way to approach this type of problems which easily transfers to solving similar problems.

Using think-aloud interviews to characterize model-based reasoning in electronics for a laboratory course assessment

“…The area of the circles represents the number of 30-second intervals coded with that particular subtask; the thickness of the gray connectors between all five subtasks represents the number of times a subtask was coded directly after the other or within the same 30-second interval. This representation is similar to the transition graphs presented in Ref [33]. cent pair was observed.…”

Organizing physics teacher professional education around productive habit development: A way to meet reform challenges

“…Selected physics habits of mind.-The list below was compiled based on the history of physics, physics education literature, and observations of the work of physicists in real time [75][76][77][78]. We recognize that the list is not exhaustive but hope that it gives the reader a flavor of what we have in mind.…”

“…Selected physics teacher habits of mind and practice.-The following nonexhaustive list is compiled based on the documents governing science education (Framework for K-12 Science Education and NGSS) [1,2], physics education literature, science education literature, and general literature on how people learn [4,12,18,[74][75][76][77]81,[87][88][89][90][91][92][93][94][95][96][97].…”

A theory-guided research agenda for physics teacher education

“…Observe ethnographically and interview master teachers to document their detailed habits of mind, practice and maintenance The substantive enumeration of the habits of mind of a physicist and a physics teacher remains elusive despite some efforts to operationalize what it means to think like a physicist [17,[19][20][21]. In view of a serious and urgent need to make the physics enterprise reflect the rich diversity of the population, additional research is needed to understand the interplay of human characteristics such as gender, gender expression, race, and ethnicity with the habits of mind of diverse master teachers.…”