Role of mental representations in problem solving: Students’ approaches to nondirected tasks

Ibrahim, Bashirah; Rebello, N. Sanjay

doi:10.1103/physrevstper.9.020106

Cited by 23 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Problem solving is a crucial element and is integral in the physics domain or any scientific discipline (Ibrahim & Rebello, 2013). Several studies reported role of cognition during problem solving (Kohl & Finklestein, 2006;Cock, 2012;Ibrahim & Rebello, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Several studies reported role of cognition during problem solving (Kohl & Finklestein, 2006;Cock, 2012;Ibrahim & Rebello, 2013). Ibrahim and Rebello (2013) explored the categories of mental representations that students work with during problem solving of different representational task formats. Results of the study provide insights into the use of representations in problem solving in order to facilitate students' construction of mental models.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the context of the cognitive process, the research results of Ibrahim and Rebello (2013) indicated that students work primarily at the level of propositional mental representation. Cock (2012) examined student success on three variants of a test item given in different representational formats (verbal, pictorial, and graphical), with an isomorphic problem statement.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Teachers’ and Students’ Preliminary Stages in Physics Problem Solving

Mansyur¹

2015

IES

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This paper describes the preliminary stages in physics problem solving related to the use of external representation. This empirical study was carried out using phenomenographic approach to analize data from individual thinking-aloud and interview 8 senior high school students and 7 physics teachers. The result of this study is a set of outcome space that describes the teachers' and students' preliminary stages in solving a physics problem. The outcome space includes three categories, i.e: the Constructing Diagram: Lead to Successful Solution; Constructing Diagram: Lead to Unsuccessful Solution: and No Diagram: Lead to Unsuccessful Solution. Linkage of student-teacher pairs in the same school is found on the pattern of the preliminary stages of their problem solving.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Teachers’ and Students’ Preliminary Stages in Physics Problem Solving

Mansyur¹

2015

IES

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“…We can enrich DI by considering the results of previous studies. This paper presents enhanced DI model from the results of previous studies by Rosengrant et al (2006), Cock (2012), Sabia et al (2013), Ningsih et al (2013), Ibrahim and Rebello (2013), Rahmilia et al (2014), and Mansyur (2015). This research aimed to obtain an instructional design that is a research-based instruction by making DI as a basis.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Enhancing Direct Instruction on Introductory Physics for Supporting Students’ Mental-Modeling Ability

Mansyur

Darsikin²

2016

IES

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This paper describes an instructional design for introductory physics that integrates previous research results of physics problem-solving and the use of external representation into direct instruction (DI). The research is a part of research in obtaining an established instructional design to support mental-modeling ability. By integrating with the previous research results of problem-solving and external representation with the characteristics of DI, we obtained stages of a hypothetical design. The hypothetical design has been developed by implementing phases of formative research to obtain a final model of enhanced direct instruction (EDI). Results of experimental phase showed that EDI can support the students' mental-modeling ability.

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“…However, as if to mirror the instructional practices in typical classrooms, most previous studies have utilized only single-concept problems [1,[5][6][7][8][9][10][11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Students’ conceptual performance on synthesis physics problems with varying mathematical complexity

Ibrahim

Ding

Heckler

et al. 2017

Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res.

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A body of research on physics problem solving has focused on single-concept problems. In this study we use "synthesis problems" that involve multiple concepts typically taught in different chapters. We use two types of synthesis problems, sequential and simultaneous synthesis tasks. Sequential problems require a consecutive application of fundamental principles, and simultaneous problems require a concurrent application of pertinent concepts. We explore students' conceptual performance when they solve quantitative synthesis problems with varying mathematical complexity. Conceptual performance refers to the identification, follow-up, and correct application of the pertinent concepts. Mathematical complexity is determined by the type and the number of equations to be manipulated concurrently due to the number of unknowns in each equation. Data were collected from written tasks and individual interviews administered to physics major students (N ¼ 179) enrolled in a second year mechanics course. The results indicate that mathematical complexity does not impact students' conceptual performance on the sequential tasks. In contrast, for the simultaneous problems, mathematical complexity negatively influences the students' conceptual performance. This difference may be explained by the students' familiarity with and confidence in particular concepts coupled with cognitive load associated with manipulating complex quantitative equations. Another explanation pertains to the type of synthesis problems, either sequential or simultaneous task. The students split the situation presented in the sequential synthesis tasks into segments but treated the situation in the simultaneous synthesis tasks as a single event.

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Role of mental representations in problem solving: Students’ approaches to nondirected tasks

Cited by 23 publications

References 44 publications

Teachers’ and Students’ Preliminary Stages in Physics Problem Solving

Teachers’ and Students’ Preliminary Stages in Physics Problem Solving

Enhancing Direct Instruction on Introductory Physics for Supporting Students’ Mental-Modeling Ability

Students’ conceptual performance on synthesis physics problems with varying mathematical complexity

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