From Theory to Data: The Process of Refining Learning Progressions

Shea, Nicole; Duncan, Ravit Golan

doi:10.1080/10508406.2012.691924

Cited by 67 publications

(94 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Gunckel, Covitt, Salinas, & Anderson, 2012;Mayes et al, 2014) or in the context of instruction (e.g. Shea & Duncan, 2013;Yin, Tomita, & Shavelson, 2014). Our review of the literature on students' ideas about the Solar System was insufficient for use in developing a full LP.…”

Section: Lp Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 92%

Development of a Learning Progression for the Formation of the Solar System

Plummer

Palma

Flarend

et al. 2015

International Journal of Science Education

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This study describes the process of defining a hypothetical learning progression (LP) for astronomy around the big idea of Solar System formation. At the most sophisticated level, students can explain how the formation process led to the current Solar System by considering how the planets formed from the collapse of a rotating cloud of gas and dust. Development of this LP was conducted in 2 phases. First, we interviewed middle school, high school, and college students (N = 44), asking them to describe properties of the current Solar System and to explain how the Solar System was formed. Second, we interviewed 6th-grade students (N = 24) before and after a 15-week astronomy curriculum designed around the big idea. Our analysis provides evidence for potential levels of sophistication within the hypothetical LP, while also revealing common alternative conceptions or areas of limited understanding that could form barriers to progress if not addressed by instruction. For example, many students' understanding of Solar System phenomena was limited by either alternative ideas about gravity or limited application of momentum in their explanations. Few students approached a scientific-level explanation, but their responses revealed possible stepping stones that could be built upon with appropriate instruction.

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Section: Lp Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 92%

Development of a Learning Progression for the Formation of the Solar System

Plummer

Palma

Flarend

et al. 2015

International Journal of Science Education

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“…Our development of a seasons construct map was (a) dependent on our interpretation, as the researchers, of what it means to construct a scientific explanation for the target phenomena and (b) influenced by the students' curricular experience. These elements should be analyzed together in LP development: as learning is dependent on students' opportunities to build their knowledge of the domain, instruction that guides the development of a construct map should be built around the LP hypothesis (Krajcik et al, ; Shea & Duncan, ; Songer, Kelsey, & Gotwals, ). This includes designing instruction to help students make connections between their observations of the world and the scientific model, as dictated by knowledge of the domain, but also using what is currently known about the challenges students have in learning in that domain.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The move from a hypothetical LP to one that is empirically validated “occurs in multiple iterative cycles rather than during a one‐time empirical validation study” (Shea & Duncan, , p. 9). Thus, rather than claim that this is the definitive description of a construct map for the seasons, we have provided a stepping‐off point for further in‐depth analysis of the role of instruction in students learning to explain the seasons as well as contributing to our larger celestial motion LP.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This type of LP development often involves close work between the researcher and curriculum implementation in order for the LP hypothesis to be realized in the instructional practices of the teacher. For example, Shea and Duncan () developed an LP for genetics using this method. The data used to test and revise their LP came from interviews and written artifacts with middle school students during a 2‐year longitudinal study; the students participated in two instructional units, collaboratively designed with teachers, using the researcher's LP hypothesis.…”

Section: Learning Progression Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Building a learning progression for celestial motion: An exploration of students' reasoning about the seasons

Plummer

Maynard

2014

J Res Sci Teach

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We present the development of a construct map addressing the reason for the seasons, as a subset of a larger learning progression on celestial motion. Five classes of 8th grade students (N = 38) participated in a 10‐day curriculum on the seasons. We revised a hypothetical seasons construct map using a Rasch model analysis of students' pre/post‐assessments followed by a closer examination of individual student explanations. Our proposed construct map is consistent with the Framework for K‐12 Science Education [National Research Council. (2012). Framework for K‐12 Science Education. Washington, DC: National Academy Press] but includes a more nuanced discussion of critical conceptual and spatial connections. Movement up the construct map begins with learning foundational concepts about the Earth's motion in space and how observational patterns of the Sun relate to temperature changes. Movement into the upper levels of the seasons construct map occurs as instruction supports students in making sense of how the space‐based perspective of their location on a spherical Earth can be used to account for observable patterns of change. However, our findings suggest that making this connection between Earth‐based observations of the Sun and the motions and perspectives of the Earth in space is one of the major challenges that limit student progress in this domain. Findings have implications for instruction designed to support astronomy education as described by the Next Generation Science Standards [NGSS Lead States. (2013) Next Generation Science Standards: For the States, By the States. Achieve, Inc. on behalf of the twenty‐six states and partners that collaborated on the NGSS. Retrieved from: http://www.nextgenscience.org/next-generation-science-standards]. Instruction that supports progress along this construct map, and the larger celestial motion learning progression, must purposefully support the spatially complex connection between the Earth's motion in space and phenomena observed from the Earth's surface. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 51:902–929, 2014.

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“…Journal articles that report quantitative results often do not include representative visuals or graphs (see Berlin & White, 2012;Braden, 1996;Bulfin, Henderson, Johnson, & Selwyn, 2014;de Villiers, 2007;McLaren, 2012;Yildiz, 2012). When graphs are included, these are often bar charts where the meaning of the data may not be immediately clear (Craig, Lang, & Fisher, 2008;Shea & Duncan, 2013). Quantitative research methods texts often describe how to present statistics accurately using alphanumerical characters, but do not provide instructions for representing statistics graphically (see Creswell, 2004;Huck, 2011).…”

Section: Alice Was Beginning To Get Very Tired Of Sitting By Her Sistmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Use of Graphics to Communicate Findings of Longitudinal Data in Design-Based Research

2015

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Visuals and graphics have been used for communicating complex ideas since 1786 when William Playfair first invented the line graph and bar chart. Graphs and charts are useful for interpretation and making sense of data. For instance, John Snow's scatter plot helped pinpoint the source of a cholera outbreak in London in 1854 and also changed understandings of how germs were spread. While popular in the field of information graphics, rarely are graphs beyond the bar chart found in educational research articles. When present, the graphs do not necessarily enhance the findings of the data. Nor do educational research methods textbooks promote or instruct how to create visual representations to aid with interpretation and communication of findings. This paper attempts to address this void by sharing our processes for creating meaningful visual graphs for communicating multi-dimensional statistical findings more effectively. A working hypothesis was that carefully crafted visual graphics would convey our longitudinal research findings more effectively to broader audiences than existing forms. Three visuals were constructed from survey data three-year longitudinal design based research study of teacher and student learning in a one-toone laptop school. The study focused on learning designs that changed and improved student learning experiences and outcomes by adopting inquiry approaches to teaching that incorporate meaningful uses of technology. In field tests, our audiences found the visuals were useful for interpreting the findings. More and more frequently, academics are required to communicate their findings to broader audiences. A well-designed and well-constructed graph(ic) can provide a means for effective communication of complex, multi-dimensional statistical data. Such effective communication is beneficial for both an academic audience as well as for broader audiences.

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From Theory to Data: The Process of Refining Learning Progressions

Abstract: Journal of the Learning SciencesPublication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information:

Cited by 67 publications

References 29 publications

Development of a Learning Progression for the Formation of the Solar System

Development of a Learning Progression for the Formation of the Solar System

Building a learning progression for celestial motion: An exploration of students' reasoning about the seasons

The Use of Graphics to Communicate Findings of Longitudinal Data in Design-Based Research

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