Luke D. Conlin

Coupling epistemology and identity in explaining student interest in science

In this paper, we present the case of Estevan, an eighth-grader from Honduras whose interest in science lies primarily at the intersection of personal epistemology and identity. Drawing on video data from classroom interactions as well as interviews with Estevan and his teacher, Ms. K, we show how Estevan’s passionate engagement in sensemaking about the seasons arose from an alignment between his epistemological stance that science involves figuring things out for yourself and his enacted identity as someone who faces challenges head-on. We use Estevan’s case to highlight the importance of remaining open to the multiplicity of connections that might exist between interest in science and students’ identities and to motivate looking deeper into such issues before prescribing how to engage students in science.

When procedures discourage insight: epistemological consequences of prompting novice physics students to construct force diagrams

ABSTRACT One aim of school science instruction is to help students become adaptive problem solvers. Though successful at structuring novice problem solving, step-by-step problem-solving frameworks may also constrain students’ thinking. This study utilises a paradigm established by Heckler [(2010). Some consequences of prompting novice physics students to construct force diagrams. International Journal of Science Education, 32(14), 1829–1851] to test how cuing the first step in a standard framework affects undergraduate students’ approaches and evaluation of solutions in physics problem solving. Specifically, prompting the construction of a standard diagram before problem solving increases the use of standard procedures, decreasing the use of a conceptual shortcut. Providing a diagram prompt also lowers students’ ratings of informal approaches to similar problems. These results suggest that reminding students to follow typical problem-solving frameworks limits their views of what counts as good problem solving.