Investigating Motivation and Transfer in Physical Science through Preparation for Future Learning Instruction

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A critical problem in science education is to understand how students transfer their prior knowledge and experience acquired in one situation to solve novel problems in another. Not only do students struggle with conceptual understanding and transfer, but they also show declines in motivation for science during the middle school years. Prior research suggests there is great potential and opportunity to address these challenges by integrating past work on cognitive and motivational approaches to understanding learning and transfer. In this project, researchers will integrate these separate strands of past work by exploring the relations between different types of instructional activities, student motivation (i.e., their goals, interest, and perceptions of autonomy), and transfer in the context of 6th grade physical science units. They will investigate two forms of instructional activities, comparing "tell-and-practice", in which students receive direct instruction followed by problem solving, to "preparation for future learning" (PFL), in which students first engage in inquiry tasks and then are given direct instruction. The results of the studies will provide valuable insights into the relations between students' thinking processes, motivation, and instruction in promoting science knowledge transfer. In addition, by involving a diverse student population and conducting frequent assessments, the learning activities will be shaped to be beneficial to both students from majority and underrepresented groups, and to both girls and boys.The EHR Core Research (ECR) program emphasizes fundamental STEM education research that generates foundational knowledge in the field. Investments are made in critical areas that are essential, broad and enduring: STEM learning and STEM learning environments, broadening participation in STEM, and STEM workforce development. This ECR project will test and revise a theoretical framework for transfer that integrates cognitive and motivational factors and processes. The project team will investigate hypotheses derived from this framework including: (a) test whether key aspects of 6th-grade students' motivation (goals, interest, and perceived autonomy) predict specific types of transfer outcomes including near, intermediate, and far transfer; (b) test the extent to which standard tell-and-practice and PFL learning activities promote learning, motivation, and transfer; and (c) explore and test the hypothesized motivational and cognitive mechanisms underlying transfer success and failure. Methodologically, the project team will combine instrument development and assessment, carefully controlled in-vivo classroom studies with a diverse body of students, and verbal protocol analysis of dialogue. The results will inform the development of a new theory of knowledge transfer that will have implications for science education and instruction.