Student Thinking: Revising Understanding Over Time

Jan 31, 2024

Listen to a fifth-grader’s explanation of how a flashlight lights up at the start and end of a science unit. Consider the rich experiences and forms of reasoning he draws on throughout, and the ways in which the unit supports him in revising aspects of his thinking.

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Equity

Eliciting students’ knowledge and experiences, and supporting students in working with these ideas over time and coordinating them with additional ideas and experiences, can promote meaningful sensemaking and an understanding that ideas evolve in science.

Research

See how iterating on an explanation can support the development of student understanding: Novak, A. M., & Treagust, D. F. (2022). Supporting the development of scientific understanding when constructing an evolving explanation. Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Science Education Research, 4(3).

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