Solving a problem with the aid of another: A teaching strategy in electromagnetism

BUTELER, LAURA M.; COLEONI, ENRIQUE ANDRÉS

Journal of Science Education

Año: 2008

0124-5481

The plausibility of a teaching strategy in physics problem solving is explored. The strategy consists of productively using cognitive resources activated in one problem to solve another problem. The design and data analysis is approached from a manifold and context-sensitive view of cognition, based on cognitive resources, as proposed by Redish (2004) and Hammer et. al. (2005). The study consists of an exploratory qualitative phase and a descriptive quantitative phase. A total of 33 participants were part of the study , who were students of an introductory physics course in a career in Chemistry at the University level. Results show that: a) different problems correlate with the activation of different resources by the students, and b) the presence of one of the problems, in which students spontaneously activate resources that are useful to solve it, favors reflection and the correct solving of the other problem, in which the resources students spontaneously activate are not useful.