Developing an Analytical Framework to Characterize Student Reasoning about Complex Processes

Autor/inn/en	Scott, Emily E.; Anderson, Charles W.; Mashood, K. K.; Matz, Rebecca L.; Underwood, Sonia M.; Sawtelle, Vashti
Titel	Developing an Analytical Framework to Characterize Student Reasoning about Complex Processes
Quelle	In: CBE - Life Sciences Education, 17 (2018) 3, Artikel 49 (14 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1931-7913
DOI	10.1187/cbe.17-10-0225
Schlagwörter	Science Instruction; Logical Thinking; Scientific Concepts; Undergraduate Students; Majors (Students); Concept Formation; Relevance (Education); Cognitive Processes; College Science + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Teaching of science; Science education; Natural sciences Lessons; Naturwissenschaftlicher Unterricht; Concept learning; Begriffsbildung; Relevance; Relevanz; Cognitive process; Kognitiver Prozess
Abstract	Real-world processes are complex and require ideas from multiple disciplines to be explained. However, many science courses offer limited opportunities for students to synthesize scientific ideas into coherent explanations. In this study, we investigated how students constructed causal explanations of complex phenomena to better understand the ways they approach this practice. We interviewed 12 undergraduate science majors and asked them to explain real-world phenomena. From these interviews, we developed a characterization framework that described the reasoning patterns we found. In this framework, we identified three explanatory frames that differentiated the kinds of explanations students provided: a colloquial frame, wherein participants activated conceptual resources based on personal experience using everyday language; an emerging mechanistic frame, wherein participants used scientific concepts in semicoherent ways; and a causal mechanistic frame, wherein participants cohesively drew upon scientific conceptual resources to construct mechanistic explanations. Overall, the causal mechanistic frame was the least prevalent frame invoked by students. Instead, many drew on an emerging mechanistic frame and struggled to identify and apply scientific concepts to real-world scenarios. We advocate for incorporating opportunities to reason about real-world phenomena into undergraduate science curricula to provide students with experience integrating scientific concepts to explain real-world phenomena. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01