ERIC Number: EJ1111928
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0950-0693
EISSN: N/A
Analysing Student Written Solutions to Investigate if Problem-Solving Processes Are Evident Throughout
Kelly, Regina; McLoughlin, Eilish; Finlayson, Odilla E.
International Journal of Science Education, v38 n11 p1766-1784 2016
An interdisciplinary science course has been implemented at a university with the intention of providing students the opportunity to develop a range of key skills in relation to: real-world connections of science, problem-solving, information and communications technology use and team while linking subject knowledge in each of the science disciplines. One of the problems used in this interdisciplinary course has been selected to evaluate if it affords students the opportunity to explicitly display problem-solving processes. While the benefits of implementing problem-based learning have been well reported, far less research has been devoted to methods of assessing student problem-solving solutions. A problem-solving theoretical framework was used as a tool to assess student written solutions to indicate if problem-solving processes were present. In two academic years, student problem-solving processes were satisfactory for exploring and understanding, representing and formulating, and planning and executing, indicating that student collaboration on problems is a good initiator of developing these processes. In both academic years, students displayed poor monitoring and reflecting (MR) processes at the intermediate level. A key impact of evaluating student work in this way is that it facilitated meaningful feedback about the students' problem-solving process rather than solely assessing the correctness of problem solutions.
Descriptors: Problem Solving, Higher Education, Science Curriculum, Science Education, Science Instruction, Intellectual Disciplines, Interdisciplinary Approach, Foreign Countries, Achievement Tests, Secondary School Students, International Assessment, Bachelors Degrees, Focus Groups, Undergraduate Students, College Science, Qualitative Research, Student Surveys
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Ireland (Dublin)
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Program for International Student Assessment
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A