Improved application of the control-of-variables strategy as a collateral benefit of inquiry-based physics education in elementary school |
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| Institution: | 1. PH Schwyz, Goldau, Switzerland;2. ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland;1. LMU Munich, Germany;2. University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA;3. Technical University of Munich, Germany;1. Institute for Educational Quality Improvement, Berlin, Germany;2. Centre for International Student Assessment, Germany;3. Department of Psychology, University of Kassel, Germany;4. Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education, Kiel, Germany;5. Australian Catholic University, Sydney, Australia;1. Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, the Netherlands;2. Instructional Science, Twente University, the Netherlands;1. German Institute for International Educational Research, Schloßstraße 29, 60486, Frankfurt am Main, Germany;2. MPRG REaD (Reading Education and Development), Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, 14195, Berlin, Germany;1. Children at Risk Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, United States;2. Department of Psychology, Farleigh-Dickinson University, United States;3. Department of Language, Literacy and Special Populations, Sam Houston State University, United States;4. Department of Psychology, Chattanooga State Community College, United States;5. Department of Psychology, Southern Oregon University, United States;6. Department of Psychology, Eastern Kentucky University, United States |
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| Abstract: | In a quasi-experimental classroom study, we longitudinally investigated whether inquiry-based, content-focused physics instruction improves students’ ability to apply the control-of-variables strategy, a domain-general experimentation skill. Twelve third grade elementary school classes (Mdnage = 9 years, N = 189) were randomly assigned to receive either four different physics curriculum units (intervention) or traditional instruction (control). Experiments were frequent elements in the physics units; however, there was no explicit instruction of the control-of-variables strategy or other experimentation skills. As intended, students in the intervention classes strongly increased their conceptual physics knowledge. More importantly, students in the intervention classes also showed stronger gains in their ability to apply the control-of-variables strategy correctly in novel situations compared to students in the control classes. Thus, a high dose of experimentation had the collateral benefit of improving the transfer of the control-of-variables strategy. The study complements lab-based studies with convergent findings obtained in real classrooms. |
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| Keywords: | Conceptual change Scientific reasoning Guided inquiry Control-of-variables strategy Early physics education |
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