Situated Relational Reasoning Training in an Eighth-Grade Physics Classroom

• In Event: 43.012 - Pushing the Boundaries of Relational Reasoning in Research and Practice: Cross-National, Cross-Domain, and Cross-Age Explorations

Abstract

Objective

This study examines the effect of intentional instruction on eighth-grade physics students’ understanding and use of relational reasoning (RR).

Theoretical Framework

The importance of RR in educational settings has been well documented. Most studies have focused on RR as manifested by individuals’ test performance or in academic discussions. This study, in contrast, focuses on challenges inherent in embedding RR training in physics classrooms. In physics, interpreting visual representations and integrating visual-textual information is fundamental. At their core, these abilities to interpret and integrate are the essence of RR. Thus, teaching RR in conjunction with physics would seem facilitative to student learning, which is what this study sought to investigate.

Method

Participants were 33 eighth graders enrolled in two physics classes in Israel. The experimental class were taught the four RR forms and how to use them to better understand the topic of kinematics. Training encompassed sixteen 90-minute lessons and consisted of three phases: (a) learning the RR forms through everyday examples; (b) applying RR skills with physics concepts; (c) practicing domain-specific RR in designed tasks. Before and after training, students took the Physics Embedded RR Test (PERRT) consisting of one section per form, with 1-2 items requiring students to identify relations between representations of different types of motion (e.g., constant velocity, constant acceleration).

Results

A general linear model for repeated measures showed no significant differences between groups, suggesting that the RR instruction did not improve performance. It seems that learning skills in the experimental group compensated for reduced classroom physics learning time. A preliminary content analysis of students’ written reasoning revealed several insights: (a) In most items (analogy, anomaly, and antinomy) students tended to rely on the visual properties of the representation rather than its relation with the physics referent in both pre- and posttests; (b) students tended to focus on a single feature of the items examined (in all 4 skills) and to ignore complex relations; (c) the use of analogy often replaced the use of antinomy; (d) students exhibited a dichotomous thinking when dealing with continuous physics variables while applying the antithetical skill.

Significance

The difficulties students demonstrated for effective use of RR in grasping unfamiliar physics content suggest that prerequisite topic knowledge may be an important condition for an efficient acquisition and use of the skills. Research shows that students this age experience difficulties with visual representations and construct many naïve conceptions in physics, which should be addressed in future interventions.

Authors

• Irit Aharon, The Hebrew Reali School in Haifa

• Billie Eilam, University of Haifa