Teaching for Conceptual Understanding and Self-Regulation Through Collaborative Problem Solving in Science

该项目是一项为期三年的合作解决科学问题的研究，目的是发展中学生学习和解决问题的描述，并开发教学策略和材料，以提高学生对科学的概念理解和他们在复杂问题解决情况下的自我调节能力。第一年是一项干预研究，调查三种教学条件的比较效果：a)介导的独立解决问题，b)群体解决问题，c)介导的群体解决问题。这次调查将在八个教室进行，因为学生们学习了一个关于物质的性质和特性的单元。第一年的数据分析将在第二年进行，目的是：A)从概念理解、自我调节能力和在三种情况下实践的社会规范的内化方面评估在不同条件下取得预期结果的成功程度；b)主要通过课堂互动的微观分析评估结果产生的原因；c)修订教学程序。在三年级，我们将在八个教室调查修订后的教学计划的实施情况。拟议的研究将有助于研究科学中的问题解决和概念理解，并有助于改善教育实践，重点是教师和学生在“学习社区”中共同工作的机会。

The project is a three year investigation of collaborative problem solving in science for the purpose of developing accounts of learning and problem solving by middle school students and developing instructional strategies and materials that improve both students' conceptual understanding of science and their capacities for self- regulation in complex problem solving situations. Year 1 is an intervention study investigating the comparative effects of three instructional conditions: a) mediated independent problem solving, b) group problem solving, and c) mediated group problem solving. This investigation will be conducted in eight classrooms as the students study a unit on the nature and properties of matter. Analyses of Year 1 data will occur in Year 2 for the purpose of: a) evaluating the success with which the desired outcomes were achieved across the various conditions in terms of conceptual understanding, self-regulatory abilities, and internalization of the social norms practiced across the three conditions, b) evaluating the reasons for the outcomes, principally through microanalysis of classroom interactions, and c) revising the instructional procedures. In Year 3, we will investigate the implementation of the revised instructional program in eight classrooms. The proposed study will contribute both to research on problem solving and conceptual understanding in science and to the improvement of educational practice, focusing on the opportunities for teachers and students to work together in "learning communities."