PECASE: Research on Students' Mental Models, Learning and Transfer as a Guide to Application-Based Curriculum Development and Instruction in Physics

提案标题：PECASE：学生心智模型、学习和迁移对物理应用型课程开发和教学的指导研究机构：堪萨斯州立大学在物理教育研究中，学生心智模型的发展还没有得到广泛的研究。初步证据表明，心理模型及其应用是强烈的上下文依赖性是特别相关的应用为基础的课程。在这个PECASE项目中，我调查了学生对现实世界设备的心理模型，这些模型如何通过教学演变，以及它们是否在上下文中转移。接下来，我利用我的研究成果开发应用型课程，组织成多功能的为期一周的教学模块，在我教的入门课程中进行试点测试。我评估模型的发展对学生的影响，以及学习从一个环境转移到另一个问题。作为这项调查的副产品，我开发的工具，可转移到其他研究的学生心理模型的发展。这项研究也被整合到我团队教授的研究生课程中。该课程侧重于当前物理教育研究的趋势和问题。本课程的学生通过本课程的一个顶点项目参与我的研究。两名经验丰富的教师通过该项目促进了我的专业发展。物理教育的先驱和系主任指导我成长为研究生课程的研究员和教师。一位获奖的本科入门级教师指导我在我所教授的入门课程中对基于应用的课程进行试点测试。总的来说，这个项目为终身为物理教学法的研究和教育做出贡献奠定了坚实的基础。这个项目最初是作为一个职业奖资助的，并于2004年5月转换为总统工程师和科学家早期职业奖（PECASE）奖。

Proposal Title: PECASE: Research on Students' Mental Models, Learning and Transfer as a Guide to Application-Based Curriculum Development and Instruction in PhysicsInstitution: Kansas State UniversityThe development of student's mental models has not been studied extensively in Physics education research. Initial evidence indicating that mental models and their application are strongly context dependent is particularly relevant to application-based curriculum. In this PECASE project, I investigate students' mental models of real-world devices, how these models evolve through instruction, and whether they transfer across contexts. Next, I utilize my research results to develop application-based curriculum, organized into versatile weeklong instructional modules that are pilot-tested in introductory classes that I teach. I assess the impact of the model development on the students, as well as issues of transfer of learning from one context to another. As a spin-off from this investigation, I develop instruments that are transferable to other research on student mental model development. This research is also integrated into a graduate level course that I team-teach. The course focuses on current Trends and issues in physics education research. Students in this course are involved in my research through a capstone project in this course. Two experienced faculty members facilitate my professional development through the project. A pioneer in physics education and head of the department mentors my growth as a researcher and teacher in the graduate course. An award-winning teacher at the introductory undergraduate level mentors my pilot testing of the application-based curricula in the introductory courses that I teach. Overall this project builds a strong foundation for a lifetime of contributions to research and education in physics pedagogy.This project was originally funded as a CAREER award, and was converted to a Presidential Early Career Award for Engineers and Scientists (PECASE) award in May 2004.