Effects of Belief Bias on Student Reasoning from Data Tables
written by
Abigail M. Bogdan and Andrew F. Heckler
This study explores both students' ability to make valid inferences from data tables and the effect of students' prior beliefs on that ability. Over 300 introductory physics students participated in one of two experimental conditions. In both conditions, the data filling the tables was identical; however, in the first condition, the tables were presented within a familiar physical context, a method well known to elicit incorrect prior beliefs in many students. In the second, the tables were presented in a generic context. We found that, while most students were able to draw valid conclusion from simple, generic data sets, they were significantly more likely to draw invalid conclusions in the familiar physical context. Closer analysis revealed that, when provided with a physical context, students tended to look at the data less, relying in part on their prior knowledge to draw their conclusions. Interestingly, students in the physical context condition indicated a higher confidence in their responses, despite their lower accuracy.
Physics Education Research Conference 2013
Part of the PER Conference series
Portland, OR: July 17-18, 2013
Pages 73-76
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<a href="https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=13111">Bogdan, Abigail, and Andrew F. Heckler. "Effects of Belief Bias on Student Reasoning from Data Tables." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2013, Portland, OR, July 17-18, 2013.</a>
A. Bogdan and A. Heckler, , presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2013, Portland, OR, 2013, WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13111&DocID=3660).
A. Bogdan and A. Heckler, Effects of Belief Bias on Student Reasoning from Data Tables, presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2013, Portland, OR, 2013, <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13111&DocID=3660>.
Bogdan, A., & Heckler, A. (2013, July 17-18). Effects of Belief Bias on Student Reasoning from Data Tables. Paper presented at Physics Education Research Conference 2013, Portland, OR. Retrieved May 10, 2025, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13111&DocID=3660
Bogdan, Abigail, and Andrew F. Heckler. "Effects of Belief Bias on Student Reasoning from Data Tables." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2013, Portland, OR, July 17-18, 2013. https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13111&DocID=3660 (accessed 10 May 2025).
Bogdan, Abigail, and Andrew F. Heckler. "Effects of Belief Bias on Student Reasoning from Data Tables." Physics Education Research Conference 2013. Portland, OR: 2013. 73-76 of PER Conference. 10 May 2025 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13111&DocID=3660>.
@inproceedings{
Author = "Abigail Bogdan and Andrew F. Heckler",
Title = {Effects of Belief Bias on Student Reasoning from Data Tables},
BookTitle = {Physics Education Research Conference 2013},
Pages = {73-76},
Address = {Portland, OR},
Series = {PER Conference},
Month = {July 17-18},
Year = {2013}
}
%A Abigail Bogdan %A Andrew F. Heckler %T Effects of Belief Bias on Student Reasoning from Data Tables %S PER Conference %D July 17-18 2013 %P 73-76 %C Portland, OR %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13111&DocID=3660 %O Physics Education Research Conference 2013 %O July 17-18 %O application/pdf
%0 Conference Proceedings %A Bogdan, Abigail %A Heckler, Andrew F. %D July 17-18 2013 %T Effects of Belief Bias on Student Reasoning from Data Tables %B Physics Education Research Conference 2013 %C Portland, OR %P 73-76 %S PER Conference %8 July 17-18 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13111&DocID=3660
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