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Undergraduates can effectively use biological principles like flux as schemas to solve novel problems. However, correct application requires foundational knowledge for successful mechanistic reasoning.

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Area of Science:

  • Biology Education Research
  • Cognitive Science in Science Learning

Background:

  • Undergraduates often struggle to apply biological principles to new problems.
  • Understanding how students activate and link knowledge is crucial for effective science pedagogy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how undergraduates utilize biological principles to guide problem-solving.
  • To determine the effectiveness of using principles as reasoning schemas.
  • To identify factors influencing successful application of biological principles.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of real-time small-group discussions in an Introductory Organismal Biology course.
  • Development of a reasoning framework to characterize knowledge activation and linkage.
  • Characterization of student reasoning patterns related to the principle of flux.

Main Results:

  • The principle of flux (flow rate ∝ gradient/resistance) acted as a schema, guiding student attention and knowledge linkage.
  • Students using flux correctly were more successful in constructing domain-plausible mechanistic explanations.
  • Incorrect application of flux, particularly regarding gradients, hindered plausible explanation generation.

Conclusions:

  • Disciplinary core principles, functioning as predictive schemas, enhance students' generative reasoning.
  • Teaching core principles that offer broad explanatory power supports scientific thinking.
  • Foundational content knowledge (e.g., gradients, resistance) is essential for accurate application of principles.