In this paper, we describe student understanding of the "force concept" (basic concepts of Newtonian mechanics) by representing it as a vector-valued quantity, which we refer to as the "score-state vector," in a (30-dimensional) Force Concept Inventory (FCI) score space. We use a large ensemble of FCI results collected…

The present study examines the influence of individual competencies on knowledge integration in inter- and transdisciplinary work. Perspective taking, reflexivity, analogical reasoning, and tolerance of ambiguity and uncertainty were investigated as core competencies for fostering knowledge integration. Additional hypotheses assumed that the…

A large body of research shows that using interactive engagement pedagogy in the introductory physics classroom consistently results in significant student learning gains; however, with a few exceptions, those learning gains tend not to be accompanied by more expert-like attitudes and beliefs about physics and learning physics. In fact, in both…

This study examined the role of source credibility in the validation of factual information embedded in short narratives. In a self-paced reading experiment, we tested the assumption that the degree of (im-)plausibility determines the extent that source credibility affects validation during comprehension. We used reading times of target and…

The success of professional development programs has typically been determined based on their impact on teacher learning, without much attention being given to the data sources used. Large-scale studies have generally relied on teachers' self-reports, whereas small-scale studies have included more direct assessments and observations of teacher…

Most private sector employees have access to defined contribution retirement plans while public sector employees often may choose defined benefit or defined contribution plans. This research utilized a survey of faculty to analyze retirement plan satisfaction. Advice from a financial planner was positively associated with satisfaction with…

This study compares the experts and the novices to investigate their information processing in dealing with the different degrees of recognition of shape-match stimulus by measuring the event-related potentials (ERPs). ERPs were recorded while 20 designers and 20 novices made shape-match judgments for table and chair sets. All of the tables were…

In this study, we investigated teachers' abilities correctly to identify situations that are appropriate for proportional reasoning and factors that might influence their ability using data on 148 teachers from the U.S. Learning Mathematics for Teaching assessment and other, similar items (with a smaller sample). Through a quantitative exploratory…

The ultimate goals of this study were to determine ways to reconcile technology with public interest and to understand the relationship between what we know and how we feel about technology. To achieve the goals, related literatures were reviewed; the mechanism of technology development was described with empirical data; and human perception of…

A characteristic of being a professional is the internalisation of the collective professional theory (CPT)--the shared insights of professionals. Problems arise when different opinions stemming from professionals' personal professional theories (PPTs) obscure a CPT's content. This study argues that cooperating professionals' CPTs form a so-called…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference between evaluations of the educational game materials and poster practices by students' own peers and by expert educators using the rubrics created by expert educators and students together. Study included 10 students and 3 educators attended educational game materials course. Students…

Multiple text comprehension can greatly benefit from paying attention to sources and from using this information for evaluating text information. Previous research based on texts from the domain of history suggests that source-related strategies are acquired as part of the discipline expertise as opposed to the spontaneous use of these strategies…

Context: Concussion legislation mandates that health care providers have experience in concussion management. Unfortunately, standards for current continuing and clinician education are ill defined. Objective: (1) Determine if a didactic-based educational intervention would increase knowledge and perceived expertise and (2) examine the…

Preschoolers use outcomes of actions to infer causal properties of objects. We asked whether they also use them to infer others' causal abilities and knowledge. In Experiment 1, preschoolers saw 2 informants, 2 tools, and 2 broken toys. One informant (the "labeler") knew the names of the tools, but his actions failed to activate the toys. The…

Background: Despite increased access to student learning data, scholars have demonstrated that teachers do not always know how to use these data in ways that lead to deep changes in instruction and often lack skills and knowledge to interpret results and develop solutions. In response, administrators have invested in instructional coaches, data…