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

科学教育中的一个关键问题是了解学生如何将他们在一种情况下获得的先前知识和经验转移到另一种情况下解决新问题。学生们不仅在概念理解和迁移方面遇到困难，而且在中学期间对科学的动机也有所下降。先前的研究表明，有很大的潜力和机会，通过整合过去的认知和动机的方法来理解学习和迁移的工作，以解决这些挑战。在这个项目中，研究人员将通过探索不同类型的教学活动，学生动机（即，他们的目标，兴趣和自主性的看法），并在六年级物理科学单位的背景下转移。他们将调查两种形式的教学活动，比较“告诉和实践”，其中学生接受直接指导，然后解决问题，“为未来学习做准备”（PFL），其中学生首先参与探究任务，然后直接指导。本研究结果将提供有价值的见解，学生的思维过程，动机和教学之间的关系，以促进科学知识的转移。此外，通过让多样化的学生群体参与并进行频繁的评估，学习活动将被塑造为有利于多数群体和代表性不足群体的学生，以及女孩和男孩。EHR核心研究（ECR）计划强调基础STEM教育研究，产生该领域的基础知识。投资是在关键领域是必不可少的，广泛的和持久的：干学习和干学习环境，扩大参与干，干劳动力发展。这个ECR项目将测试和修改一个理论框架，为转移，整合认知和动机因素和过程。项目组将调查从这个框架得出的假设，包括：（a）测试六年级学生的动机的关键方面是否（目标、兴趣和自主意识）预测特定类型的迁移结果，包括近、中、远迁移;（B）测试标准的讲与练和PFL学习活动促进学习、动机和迁移的程度;以及（c）探索和测试迁移成功和失败背后的动机和认知机制。在方法上，项目组将结合联合收割机仪器开发和评估，精心控制的体内课堂研究与不同的学生，和口头协议分析的对话。研究结果将为知识转移的新理论的发展提供信息，这将对科学教育和教学产生影响。

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.