Understanding Students' Scientific Explanations in the Physics of Roller Coasters (Poster 45)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Nine
  In Poster Session: Learning Sciences SIG Poster Session Two: Health, Higher Education, Representations, and Reasoning

Abstract

Scientific explanations are fundamental in helping students understand major scientific ideas and develop scientific thinking and reasoning. Writing an explanation is a challenging process. Students often fail to use evidence and draw connections between the scientific ideas they are explaining. In this study, we examined three aspects of scientific explanations (a) describing scientific concepts and principles, (b) explaining relations between concepts and principles, and (c) including evidence. We coded 108 middle school students’ writing in a roller coaster unit. We found that students were able to include concepts but had difficulty explaining the relationships between concepts. Students also did not include sufficient evidence. More support in helping students use evidence and explain relationships between concepts is needed.

Authors

• Xuesong Cang, University of Wisconsin - Madison
  Presenting Author

• Sadhana Puntambekar, University of Wisconsin - Madison
  Non-Presenting Author