Beyond Prior Knowledge: Conceptualizing Adaptive Expertise in Middle School Invention Activities

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 4
  In Poster Session: Assessing and Promoting Student Achievement in Schools

Abstract

Adaptive experts, unlike routine experts, are able to successfully adapt their knowledge to new challenges. Although significant research has been done on adaptive expertise in the workplace and in adult education, little work has been done to conceptualize adaptive expertise in the K-12 learning setting. In this work, we explore the beginnings of adaptive expertise in a middle school science classroom. We identify and measure characteristics of adaptive experts during Invention, an exploratory problem-solving activity. Furthermore, we show that these characteristics are predictive of students’ abilities to solve novel problems, independent of prior knowledge. This work provides a blueprint for thinking about adaptive expertise in a K-12 educational setting. It also has implications for educators interested in promoting adaptive expertise.

Authors

• Helena Connolly, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Catherine Chase, Teachers College of Columbia University