An emerging body of research suggests that, even after research-based instruction, poor student performance on certain physics tasks may stem primarily from domain-general reasoning phenomena rather than from a lack of conceptual understanding. The reasoning patterns (and inconsistencies) reported in these studies may be explained by dual-process theories of reasoning (DPToR). In order to help students strengthen their reasoning skills and support increased cognitive reflection, there is a need to design and test instructional intervention strategies that leverage DPToR and that may ultimately guide the development of research-based curricular materials that attend to the nature of human reasoning more explicitly. This investigation focused on an intervention designed to support analytical processing in which students were asked to set aside their own reasoning and engage in alternative lines of reasoning. In the intervention, students first responded to a qualitative physics task, then constructed reasoning chains in support of answers to that task given by two fictitious students, and finally revisited the original physics task. Analysis revealed that this intervention was successful at improving student performance. Furthermore, it appears to have supported students regardless of their cognitive reflection skills, and its effectiveness may potentially be correlated with the quality of reasoning chains generated in support of the correct fictitious student's response.

Supporting student construction of alternative lines of reasoning

An emerging body of research suggests that the nature of human reasoning itself may impact student performance on physics questions. Analysis of student reasoning patterns through the lens of dual-process theories of reasoning (DPToR) indicates that students may struggle to engage analytical processing productively when responding to physics questions containing salient distracting features (SDFs). While students may reason correctly on one question (screening question), they may abandon that same line of reasoning on an analogous question containing an SDF (target question). As part of a larger effort to investigate and support student reasoning in physics, we have designed and tested an intervention that explicitly guides students to apply the reasoning they successfully used on the screening question to the target question in order to help students reconsider their default responses. On this poster, preliminary results will be presented and implications for research-based curriculum development will be discussed.

Supporting Students in Exploring Alternative Lines of Reasoning

Research in physics education has shown that poor student performance on certain physics tasks may stem primarily from domain-general reasoning phenomena rather than a lack of conceptual understanding. The observed reasoning patterns are consistent with dual-process theories of reasoning (DPToR). Efforts are ongoing to design strategies to guide the development of research-based curriculum to help students strengthen their reasoning skills and support cognitive reflection. In one intervention focused on supporting analytical processing, students are asked to set aside their own reasoning and engage in alternative lines of reasoning. Students first respond to a qualitative physics task, then construct reasoning chains in support of answers given by fictitious students, and finally revisit the original physics task. In this talk, we will discuss intervention results in the context of kinematics, examine factors possibly related to its effectiveness, and highlight the implications of our findings for future DPToR-aligned curriculum development.


*This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. DUE-1821390, DUE-1821123, DUE-1821400, DUE-1821511, and DUE-1821561.

Supporting Student Construction of Alternative Lines of Reasoning

An emerging body of research suggests that the nature of human reasoning itself may impact student performance on physics questions. Analysis of student reasoning patterns through the lens of dual-process theories of reasoning (DPToR) indicates that students may struggle to engage analytical processing productively when responding to physics questions containing salient distracting features (SDFs). While students may reason correctly on one question (screening question), they may abandon that same line of reasoning on an analogous question containing an SDF (target question). As part of a larger effort to investigate and support student reasoning in physics, we have designed and tested an intervention that explicitly guides students to apply the reasoning they successfully used on the screening question to the target question in order to help students reconsider their default responses. In this talk, preliminary results will be presented and implications for research-based curriculum development will be discussed.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. DUE-1821390, DUE-1821123, DUE-1821400, DUE-1821511, and DUE-1821561.

For over 30 years, research-based materials developed by the physics education research community have helped transform introductory physics instruction.&nbsp;&nbsp;Many of these materials focus on the development of student conceptual understanding and place considerable emphasis on qualitative inferential reasoning.&nbsp;&nbsp;An emerging body of research, however, suggests that poor student performance on certain physics tasks – even after research-based instruction – may stem more from the nature of student reasoning itself than from specific conceptual difficulties.&nbsp;&nbsp;As part of a larger, multi-institutional effort to examine and support student reasoning in physics, we have been developing methodologies to probe student reasoning and designing and testing interventions to better support productive reasoning.&nbsp;&nbsp;New research tasks, informed by dual-process theories of reasoning, and associated results will be discussed.

Examining and Supporting Student Reasoning using Novel Methodologies*

Poster Session 2A

poster

**Making Physics More Inclusive and Eliminating Exclusionary Practices in Physics**

As a gateway discipline to STEM majors and careers, physics plays a central role in deciding who does, and who doesn't, get to discover and pursue scientific careers. Technical and scientific professionals are rewarded with economic privilege and status which affords them both social and cultural power. Therefore, social justice will be realized only when the opportunity, and the choice, to excel in physics is open to all students. The culture and practices of the physics classroom reflect the culture of physics at large, which raises the question of how our professional physics communities can embrace, rather than inadvertently repel, a diverse group of academics that can help improve physics culture.  To this end, the 2021 Physics Education Research Conference will focus on defining inclusive spaces and practices. Additionally, we will explore strategies for eliminating exclusionary practices in our classrooms, research spaces, and professional organizations. We call on the community to propose sessions that will drive conversations related to these initiatives throughout PERC 2021.

Please download the full program [here. ](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TRMC_SYJ3PUqXyP7sskA7LRSA8ow0eRE/view?usp=sharing)

PERC SM 21

August 4, 2021 - August 5, 2021 in a Virtual Conference Format

Making Physics More Inclusive and Eliminating Exclusionary Practices in Physics

PS.C-SU-10: PER: Student Content Understanding, Problem-Solving and Reasoning III

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AAPT SM 21

C2.9 Recent Developments and Perspectives in Research on Student Reasoning

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Supporting student construction of alternative lines of reasoning

Supporting Students in Exploring Alternative Lines of Reasoning

Supporting Student Construction of Alternative Lines of Reasoning

Supporting Students in Exploring Alternative Lines of Reasoning

Examining and Supporting Student Reasoning using Novel Methodologies*

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