PERC 2012 Abstract Detail Page
Previous Page | New Search | Browse All
| Abstract Title: | Investigating inconsistencies in student reasoning approaches |
|---|---|
| Abstract: | Student-centered instruction can lead to strong gains in physics learning. However, even after targeted instruction, many students still struggle to systematically analyze unfamiliar situations. We have identified sequences of questions that allow for an examination of inconsistencies in student reasoning approaches. On these questions, many students demonstrate that they possess abilities to do the type of reasoning required for the problem, yet they fail to apply this reasoning to arrive at a correct answer. In certain contexts, students tend to "abandon" the appropriate formal reasoning in favor of reasoning that was (perhaps) more intuitively appealing at that moment. In other cases, erroneous student reasoning approaches can be attributed to the (relative) salience of specific features of the problem. Results from introductory physics courses, in which Tutorials in Introductory Physics were implemented as interactive lectures, will be presented. Implications for research and instruction will be discussed. |
| Abstract Type: | Contributed Poster Presentation |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
Mila Kryjevskaia North Dakota State University Fargo, ND 58105 Phone: (206) 234-6251 |
| Co-Author(s) and Co-Presenter(s) |
MacKenzie R. Stetzer, University of Maine |
