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Transferability and specialization: analyzing STEM students’ perspectives of problem-solving
Problem-solving is emphasized in introductory physics courses to equip students with tools that hopefully transfer to their future lives and careers. The EMPOWER project interviewed undergraduate STEM majors from computing, manufacturing, nursing, energy, and physics about their perspectives on problem-solving. Sixty-nine student focus groups were conducted, totaling 239 students. All students emphasized the importance of problem-solving in their discipline of study, but no single practice of problem-solving was applicable for all students. Most problem-solving perspectives were unique to each discipline (e.g., perseverance was emphasized in physics, empathy in nursing), while some perspectives were emphasized across several STEM fields (e.g., teamwork). Transferable problem-solving practices were often used alongside specialized practices to handle the unique challenges of each discipline. Findings suggest shifting away from framing problem-solving as a solitary transferable skill and toward framing problem-solving as an integrated set of context-dependent practices.
Physics Education Research Conference 2019
Part of the PER Conference series Provo, UT: July 24-25, 2019 Pages 348-353
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![]() <a href="https://www.per-central.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=15297">Macias, V, J. Poirier, B. Zwickl, and S. Rothwell. "Transferability and specialization: analyzing STEM students’ perspectives of problem-solving." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2019, Provo, UT, July 24-25, 2019.</a>
![]() V. Macias, J. Poirier, B. Zwickl, and S. Rothwell, , presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2019, Provo, UT, 2019, WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=15297&DocID=5209).
![]() V. Macias, J. Poirier, B. Zwickl, and S. Rothwell, Transferability and specialization: analyzing STEM students’ perspectives of problem-solving, presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2019, Provo, UT, 2019, <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=15297&DocID=5209>.
![]() Macias, V., Poirier, J., Zwickl, B., & Rothwell, S. (2019, July 24-25). Transferability and specialization: analyzing STEM students’ perspectives of problem-solving. Paper presented at Physics Education Research Conference 2019, Provo, UT. Retrieved February 9, 2025, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=15297&DocID=5209
![]() Macias, V, J. Poirier, B. Zwickl, and S. Rothwell. "Transferability and specialization: analyzing STEM students’ perspectives of problem-solving." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2019, Provo, UT, July 24-25, 2019. https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=15297&DocID=5209 (accessed 9 February 2025).
![]() Macias, Vina, Jacob Poirier, Benjamin Zwickl, and Susan Rothwell. "Transferability and specialization: analyzing STEM students’ perspectives of problem-solving." Physics Education Research Conference 2019. Provo, UT: 2019. 348-353 of PER Conference. 9 Feb. 2025 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=15297&DocID=5209>.
![]() @inproceedings{
Author = "Vina Macias and Jacob Poirier and Benjamin Zwickl and Susan Rothwell",
Title = {Transferability and specialization: analyzing STEM students’ perspectives of problem-solving},
BookTitle = {Physics Education Research Conference 2019},
Pages = {348-353},
Address = {Provo, UT},
Series = {PER Conference},
Month = {July 24-25},
Year = {2019}
}
![]() %A Vina Macias %A Jacob Poirier %A Benjamin Zwickl %A Susan Rothwell %T Transferability and specialization: analyzing STEM students' perspectives of problem-solving %S PER Conference %D July 24-25 2019 %P 348-353 %C Provo, UT %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=15297&DocID=5209 %O Physics Education Research Conference 2019 %O July 24-25 %O application/pdf ![]() %0 Conference Proceedings %A Macias, Vina %A Poirier, Jacob %A Zwickl, Benjamin %A Rothwell, Susan %D July 24-25 2019 %T Transferability and specialization: analyzing STEM students' perspectives of problem-solving %B Physics Education Research Conference 2019 %C Provo, UT %P 348-353 %S PER Conference %8 July 24-25 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=15297&DocID=5209 Disclaimer: ComPADRE offers citation styles as a guide only. We cannot offer interpretations about citations as this is an automated procedure. Please refer to the style manuals in the Citation Source Information area for clarifications.
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