ERIC Number: EJ1195608
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018-Nov
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-0663
EISSN: N/A
Enhancing Physics Learning with Cognitively Activating Instruction: A Quasi-Experimental Classroom Intervention Study
Hofer, Sarah I.; Schumacher, Ralph; Rubin, Herbert; Stern, Elsbeth
Journal of Educational Psychology, v110 n8 p1175-1191 Nov 2018
Physics educators today face two major challenges: supporting the acquisition of a solid base of conceptual knowledge and reducing the persisting gender gap. In the present quasi-experimental study, we investigated the potential of physics instruction that is enriched with evidence-based cognitively activating methods, such as inventing with contrasting cases or metacognitive questions, to overcome both of these challenges. Four physics teachers in charge of two parallel classes each applied our cognitively activating instruction in one of their classes (CogAct classes). The other classes received regular physics lessons (regular classes) on the same content. The sample consisted of 172 individuals from the advanced track of Swiss secondary school. Controlling for several individual student variables, CogAct classes (N = 87) outperformed regular classes (N = 85) in conceptual understanding at posttest (p < 0.01, ß = 0.19, 95% CI [0.07, 0.32]) and three months later (p < 0.05, ß = 0.13, 95% CI [0.00, 0.26]). The CogAct classes' advantage in conceptual understanding was not at the expense of their quantitative problem-solving performance, which even exceeded the quantitative problem-solving performance of the regular classes at posttest (p < 0.05, ß = 0.14, 95% CI [0.00, 0.28]). In addition, female students with above-average intelligence (PR >75) particularly benefited from CogAct instruction, as indicated by descriptive statistics and the interaction between intelligence and condition in the group of the female students for posttest conceptual understanding (p < 0.05, ß = 0.88, 95% CI [0.06, 1.69]). We conclude that teachers can successfully be supported in implementing cognitively activating methods that improve their students' conceptual understanding and reduce the gender gap in physics.
Descriptors: Physics, Science Instruction, Scientific Concepts, Teaching Methods, Cognitive Processes, Metacognition, Gender Differences, Secondary School Students, Secondary School Science, Instructional Effectiveness, Concept Formation, Foreign Countries, Problem Solving, Intelligence Tests
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Switzerland
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Raven Advanced Progressive Matrices
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A