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International Journal of Science Education
written by Joshua Gutwill, John Frederiksen, and Michael Ranney
This study evaluates reasoning about electric circuits in adolescents. We measured high school students' inclinations to shift among three mechanistic perspectives while solving circuit problems. Twenty-two students from the same physics class were assigned to Treatment and Control groups. Semi-structured interviews carried out before and after the teacher's electricity instruction measured changes in the Treatment group's reasoning. Four of the ten Treatment group subjects, the 'Improved Performers', increased their accuracy scores across tests, while the remainder did not. In the Treatment group's post-test, the 'Unimproved Performers' shifted among perspectives in a more disconnected, less coherent manner than the Improved Performers. Our results suggest that physics educators should recognize the importance of mechanism shifting for developing a causal understanding of electric circuits.
International Journal of Science Education: Volume 18, Issue 2, Pages 143-162
Subjects Levels Resource Types
Education Foundations
- Learning Theory
Electricity & Magnetism
- DC Circuits
- High School
- Lower Undergraduate
- Reference Material
= Research study
Intended Users Formats Ratings
- Educators
- Researchers
- text/html
- application/pdf
- non-digital
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Available by subscription
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© 1996 International Journal of Science Education
DOI:
10.1080/0950069960180202
Keywords:
circuits, electricity, reasoning
Record Creator:
Metadata instance created June 13, 2005 by Lyle Barbato
Record Updated:
September 23, 2007 by Lyle Barbato
Last Update
when Cataloged:
March 1, 1996
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Record Link
AIP Format
J. Gutwill, J. Frederiksen, and M. Ranney, , Int. J. Sci. Educ. 18 (2), 143 (1996), WWW Document, (https://doi.org/10.1080/0950069960180202).
AJP/PRST-PER
J. Gutwill, J. Frederiksen, and M. Ranney, Seeking the causal connection in electricity: shifting among mechanistic perspectives, Int. J. Sci. Educ. 18 (2), 143 (1996), <https://doi.org/10.1080/0950069960180202>.
APA Format
Gutwill, J., Frederiksen, J., & Ranney, M. (1996, March 1). Seeking the causal connection in electricity: shifting among mechanistic perspectives. Int. J. Sci. Educ., 18(2), 143-162. Retrieved May 2, 2024, from https://doi.org/10.1080/0950069960180202
Chicago Format
Gutwill, J, J. Frederiksen, and M. Ranney. "Seeking the causal connection in electricity: shifting among mechanistic perspectives." Int. J. Sci. Educ. 18, no. 2, (March 1, 1996): 143-162, https://doi.org/10.1080/0950069960180202 (accessed 2 May 2024).
MLA Format
Gutwill, Joshua, John Frederiksen, and Michael Ranney. "Seeking the causal connection in electricity: shifting among mechanistic perspectives." Int. J. Sci. Educ. 18.2 (1996): 143-162. 2 May 2024 <https://doi.org/10.1080/0950069960180202>.
BibTeX Export Format
@article{ Author = "Joshua Gutwill and John Frederiksen and Michael Ranney", Title = {Seeking the causal connection in electricity: shifting among mechanistic perspectives}, Journal = {Int. J. Sci. Educ.}, Volume = {18}, Number = {2}, Pages = {143-162}, Month = {March}, Year = {1996} }
Refer Export Format

%A Joshua Gutwill %A John Frederiksen %A Michael Ranney %T Seeking the causal connection in electricity: shifting among mechanistic perspectives %J Int. J. Sci. Educ. %V 18 %N 2 %D March 1, 1996 %P 143-162 %U https://doi.org/10.1080/0950069960180202 %O text/html

EndNote Export Format

%0 Journal Article %A Gutwill, Joshua %A Frederiksen, John %A Ranney, Michael %D March 1, 1996 %T Seeking the causal connection in electricity: shifting among mechanistic perspectives %J Int. J. Sci. Educ. %V 18 %N 2 %P 143-162 %8 March 1, 1996 %U https://doi.org/10.1080/0950069960180202


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