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Student Reasoning from Data Tables.pdf (9 MB)

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Student Reasoning from Data Tables: Data Interpretation in Light of Student Ability and Prior Belief

Bogdan, Abigail Marie
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1460120122

Abstract Details

2016, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Physics.
Here I present my work studying introductory physics students’ proficiency with the control of variables strategy to evaluate simple data tables. In this research, a primary goal was to identify and to describe the reasoning strategies that students use preferentially when evaluating simple data tables where the control of variables strategy is the normative evaluation strategy. In addition, I aimed to identify and describe the factors that affect students’ reasoning strategies when analyzing these simple data tables. In a series of experiments, I tested 1,360 introductory physics students, giving them simple tables of experimental data to analyze. Generally, each of the experiments that I conducted had two conditions. In both of these conditions, the data filling the tables was identical; however, in the first condition, the data table was presented in a physical context and students were given a short pre-test to measure their beliefs about the context. In the second condition, the table was given in a more generic context. This was repeated with multiple data tables and physical contexts. In addition to the data table task, students were given several measures of cognitive ability. By using students’ answers on the pretest about physical context, I was able to measure whether or not each student’s prior beliefs were consistent with the relationships shown in the data tables. Across all the experiments conducted here, I found that those students whose prior beliefs were consistent with the data were over three times more likely to draw a valid inference from the table than students whose prior beliefs were inconsistent with the data. By further analyzing students’ responses, I found evidence that this difference in performance could be accounted for by the presence of a belief bias. Students tended to cite data in suboptimal ways, frequently treating their own theories as a source of evidence to be supplemented by or illustrated with examples from the data. Because of this tendency to hunt piecemeal through the tables for supporting examples, contradictory data was often simply overlooked. However, even when noticed, data that contradicted their theories was often ignored, misinterpreted to conform, or discounted in some way.
Andrew Heckler (Advisor)
Lei Bao (Committee Member)
Amy Connolly (Committee Member)
Vladimir Sloutsky (Committee Member)
201 p.
Physics
physics education research; control of variables; scientific reasoning

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Bogdan, A. M. (2016). Student Reasoning from Data Tables: Data Interpretation in Light of Student Ability and Prior Belief [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1460120122

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Bogdan, Abigail. Student Reasoning from Data Tables: Data Interpretation in Light of Student Ability and Prior Belief. 2016. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1460120122.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Bogdan, Abigail. "Student Reasoning from Data Tables: Data Interpretation in Light of Student Ability and Prior Belief." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1460120122

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1460120122
884
© 2016, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.