home - login - register

PERC 2020 Abstract Detail Page

Previous Page  |  New Search  |  Browse All

Abstract Title: Problematizing in inquiry-based labs: how students respond to unexpected results
Abstract: Problematizing is a physics practice involving the articulation of a gap in understanding into a clear question or problem. Inquiry-based labs may be conducive to problematizing behaviors, as students often collect data that do not agree with simplified models or their intuitive predictions. In this study, we analyzed video of students performing a lab in which they find the acceleration of an object in flight to be different from what the presented models predict. We aimed to identify the various activities that groups engaged in upon recognizing this inconsistency. Common problematizing behaviors included explicit discussions of physics concepts, proposing a new experiment or calculation, and checking experimental calculations.  We found that each group's sequence and duration of behaviors was quite unique, highlighting a diversity of approaches taken to address this inconsistency.
Abstract Type: Contributed Poster Presentation
Session Time: Poster Session I
Poster Number: 1.A2
Contributed Paper Record: Contributed Paper Information
Contributed Paper Download: Download Contributed Paper

Author/Organizer Information

Primary Contact: Meagan Sundstrom
Cornell University
Co-Author(s)
and Co-Presenter(s)
Anna McLean Phillips (Cornell University)
Natasha G. Holmes (Cornell University)