Supporting Adolescents' Engagement in Text-Based Explanatory Modeling

• In Event: 64.035 - Research on Learning About and Engaging in Scientific Practices

Abstract

The current study examined text-based inquiry for purposes of constructing an explanatory model of a phenomenon. Ninth-grade students were randomly assigned to one of two conditions of support: graphic organizer present or absent. Students’ explanatory models and performance on a learning task were analyzed to examine the understandings they constructed during this task and the effects of the graphic organizer on model construction and learning. The hypothesis that performance on both model construction and learning would be higher for students with the graphic organizer was confirmed. Student models were also analyzed to illustrate differences in understanding between conditions. Our findings suggest that scaffolds can support adolescents to successfully engage in text-based explanatory modeling, an authentic scientific inquiry task.

Authors

• Katie James, Northwestern University

• Susan R. Goldman, University of Illinois at Chicago