Collaborative Research: Establishing a New Model for Research-Based Curriculum Development in Physics Aligned with Dual-Process Theories of Reasoning

推理和批判性思维能力的发展可能是大学物理教学最重要的结果，因为这些能力延伸到所有STEM学科。他们也是许多非STEM职业不可或缺的一部分。然而，研究表明，在一项任务上表现出正确的概念理解和推理的学生，往往无法在相关任务中使用相同的知识和技能。观察到的不一致可以用推理的双过程理论来解释。这些理论认为，人类的认知依赖于两个思维过程。第一个启发式过程是快速、直观和自动的。第二个分析过程缓慢、费力且深思熟虑。当学生的分析过程未能拒绝不正确的直觉反应时，他们得到的答案是错误的。这个项目将开发课堂活动，让学生有机会放慢脚步，检查直觉上有吸引力的反应，并识别偏见推理的实例。认识到一个？S自己的思维路径和推理方法是在物理学和其他领域走向更专家式推理的关键一步。改进物理入门教育对国家来说很重要，因为这些课程是理解物理、化学、地质学、许多生命科学和大多数工程领域的基础。我们的国家需要在这些领域做好充分准备的工人，以提高我们的经济竞争力，改善我们的国家安全，并为下一代公民提供优质的就业机会。这个为期五年的合作项目将把认知科学的研究成果和模型整合到以研究为基础的物理课程开发工作中，通过提高学生的推理能力来最大限度地发挥其功效。该项目将首先开发和记录改善学生推理的教学干预措施。其次，它将确定此类干预帮助学生进行富有成效的推理的具体机制。第三，该项目将建立一个明确与双过程推理理论相一致的课程开发框架。该项目的核心将是开发一系列以研究为基础的教学材料(以及教师资源)的说明性例子，这些材料明确关注人类思维的两面性。这些材料将调整或补充现有的干预措施，从而提高其影响。此外，本项目将帮助研究人员更深入地了解：(1)初学物理的学生使用的推理方法；(2)促成学生直觉思维的因素和环境；(3)学生调解直觉思维的策略。最后，该项目将建立一个全面的框架，用于开发或增强利用双过程推理理论的教学材料。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The development of reasoning and critical thinking skills is possibly the most important outcome of college physics instruction, as these abilities extend to all STEM disciplines. They are integral to many non-STEM professions as well. However, research has shown that students who demonstrate correct conceptual understanding and reasoning on one task often fail to use the same knowledge and skills on related tasks. Observed inconsistencies can be accounted for by dual-process theories of reasoning. These theories assert that human cognition relies on two thinking processes. The first heuristic process is fast, intuitive, and automatic. The second analytic process is slow, effortful, and deliberate. Students get incorrect answers when their analytical process fails to reject an incorrect intuitive response. This project will develop classroom activities that give students opportunities to slow down, examine intuitively appealing responses, and recognize instances of biased reasoning. Becoming aware of one?s own thinking paths and reasoning approaches is a critical step toward more expert-like reasoning in physics and beyond. Improving education in introductory physics is important to the nation because these courses are foundational to understanding physics, chemistry, geology, many life sciences, and most fields of engineering. Our country needs well-prepared workers in these fields to increase our economic competitiveness, improve our national security, and provide quality employment opportunities for the next generation of citizens.This five-year collaborative project will integrate findings and models from cognitive science into research-based curriculum development efforts in physics to maximize their efficacy by improving student reasoning skills. The project will first develop and document instructional interventions that improve student reasoning. Secondly, it will identify specific mechanisms by which such interventions help students reason productively. Thirdly, the project will establish a framework for curriculum development explicitly aligned with dual-process theories of reasoning. Central to the project will be the development of a portfolio of illustrative examples of research-based instructional materials (along with instructor resources) that attend explicitly to the dual nature of human thinking. The materials will adapt or supplement existing interventions and thus improve their impact. In addition, this project will help researchers gain greater insight into: (1) the reasoning approaches employed by novice physics learners, (2) the factors and circumstances contributing to intuitive student ideas, and (3) strategies by which students mediate their intuitive thinking. Finally, the project will establish a comprehensive framework for developing or enhancing instructional materials that draw upon dual-process theories of reasoning.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.