Proposal view
| Proposal Type: | Individual Paper |
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| Domain: | Learning and Cognitive Science |
| SIG: | Instructional Design |
| Type | Submitted Paper |
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PC and projector |
| Paper Details |
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| Title | Enhancing knowledge integration in high-school physics |
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| Abstract | In this paper we describe learning tools – the "Knowledge Integration Routines", that aim to enhance knowledge integration in the context of physics learning. The routines are short generic activities that take 1-2 lessons to complete. They touch upon many important aspects of physics learning (e.g. formulas, lab work and problem-solving) and assist students to form selected relationships among the variety of learning contexts in which they encounter a certain topic. Students report that working on the routines, improved their understanding of physics as well as their ability to integrate various aspects of physics knowledge. They also use them spontaneously in the context of complex unfamiliar tasks. The results suggest that the routines advanced students’ ability to relate a situation presented in a problem to theoretical knowledge. |
| Summary | Enhancing Knowledge Integration in High-school Physics Esther Bagno, Bat-Sheva Eylon and Hana Berger The Science Teaching Department, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot76100, Israel E-mail: esther.bagno@weizmann.ac.il Rationale The research literature emphasizes the importance of knowledge integration in learning and teaching [1-4]. Integrated knowledge, can assist students in recall, in conceptual understanding, in problem-solving, and in transferring knowledge from one scientific domain to another, whereas fragmented knowledge is fragile and creates many difficulties for students [5-7]. In this paper, we describe a study carried out in the context of a teachers' professional development program, aimed at enhancing knowledge integration in physics classes. The program introduced teachers to "Knowledge Integration Routines". The Routines, are intended to assist students to form selected relationships among the variety of learning contexts in which they encounter a certain topic. The Routines are short generic activities focusing on various aspects of physics learning. For example, the "From Problems to Principles" is a Routine that deals with problem solving. The student is guided by a set of activities to decompose the problem into its events; identify the relevant physical principles used to analyze each event; state the rationale for using these principles; and apply the same principles in other situations. Each Routine consists of a five phases cycle, involving: Individual work, group work, whole-class discussion, homework and individual reflection. Aims of the research We hypothesized that the Routines would be appreciated by students and have the potential to contribute to students' learning. The following questions were asked: 1. How do students perceive the influence of the Routines on their learning? 2. How does the "From Problems to Principles" Routine influence students' learning? Methodology Our sample consisted of 21 high-school physics teachers and more than 300 of their students. The teachers participated in a year-long professional development program and implemented the "From Problems to Principles" and/or the "Interpretation of a Formula" Routines in their classes. In this paper, we report on: a. students' reflections on the activity, written on the worksheets, immediately after they have performed it. b. analysis of the individual and group-work phases of the worksheets accompanying the "From Problems to Principles" Routine, and c. pre-post questionnaires administered to 44 students experiencing the same Routine. Analysis and Results 1. Students claim that the Routines improve their learning Immediately after completing the activity, students were asked to answer the following question: "Did the activity contribute to you? If the answer is "yes", how?" Categorization of students' self-reports shows that: Direct Effects: · 40% claims about improving understanding of the relationships explicated by a specific Routine in the particular physics topic that was used. Transfer Effects: · 30% claims about improving understanding of the relationships explicated by a specific Routine, extended to other physics topics as well. · 20% claims about improving their understanding of additional relationships that were not explicated in the particular Routine. For example, "The understanding of this formula improved my problem solving". · 10% of the students mentioned contributions that go beyond the particular Routine or specific physics content. 2. The "From Problems to Principles" Routine, influences students' learning. a. The structure of the Routines (from individual work to group-work), contributes to students' learning Students of 4 teachers participating in the program were given a complex problem and were guided by the Routine to identify the relevant physical principles required for solving the problem and to state the rationale for using these principles. We analyzed the individual and group-work phases in each class. We found that the average number of identified physical principles, and the average number of correct rationale for using these principles, increased in the group-work phase. b. Students use problem solving techniques from the routines to cope with unfamiliar complex problems. Students who studied the "From Problems to Principles" Routine were asked prior to the activity and a few months later to describe in physical terms the situations presented in two complex problems. A comparison of the pretest and the posttest showed that there was a significant increase in the correct physical descriptions of the situations. Moreover, there was a significant increase in the use of the three problem-solving techniques recommended in the "From Problems to Principles" Routine: Decomposition of the problem into events, description of each event using physical principles and stating the rationale for using each principle. The following excerpt of a discussion in a class may serve as further support for this finding: Teacher: Do you find this Routine useful? Student: It really helps, but I intend to use it only in the case of a complex problem". Theoretical and educational significance of the research Much effort is invested in developing innovative learning tools. This research refers to the potential of a learning tool to be adopted by students and their teachers. Students use spontaneously a learning tool, if they realize that the tool genuinely promotes their ability to accomplish a task they are confronted with. The results of this study suggest that this condition is fulfilled in the case of the Knowledge Integration Routines. Students report about a rich array of contribution to their learning and they are likely to continue and use them spontaneously. The results show that indeed these Routines advanced students’ learning in relating a situation presented in a problem to relevant theoretical knowledge. References [1]Eylon B & Reif F 1984 Cognition and Instruction 1 (1), 5-44 [2] Reif F 1995 American Journal of Physics 63(1), 17-32 [3] Bell P & Linn M.C 2000 International Journal of Science Education 22(8), 797-817 [4] Linn M C & Eylon B S 2006 Science Education: Integrating Views of Learning and Instruction, 2 nd edition. 511- 544 [5] Bagno E & Eylon B 1997 American Journal of Physics 65(8), 726-736 [6] Bagno E Eylon B & Ganiel U2000 American Journal of Physics 68(7), 16-26 [7] Reif F & John M St 1979 American Journal of Physics 47(11), 950-957 . |
| Keywords | Classroom research Knowledge handling Learning processes/strategies |
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| Authors | ||||||
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| Name | Surname | Institution | Country | EARLI Number | Presenting | |
| Esther | Bagno | Weizmann Institute of Science | Israel | esther.bagno@weizmann.ac.il | * | |
| Bat Sheva | Eylon | The Weizmann Institute of Science | Israel | b.eylon@weizmann.ac.il | ||
| Hana | Berger | The Weizmann Institute of Science | Israel | hana.berger@weizmann.ac.il | ||
