Discourse as a lens for reframing consideration of learning progressions

Abstract

Learning progressions descriptions of increasingly sophisticated ways of thinking about a topic have generated much interest in the science education community, as a means of bridging the chasm between cognitive science research and methods for supporting and assessing student learning. In order to fulfill this promise, learning progressions must be developed and refined based upon a rigorous process that explores the match between the learning progression and available evidence of student learning and is complicated by the nature of students' thinking. This paper explores the implications of reframing consideration of learning progressions using Gee's notion of discourse. This reframing is posited as a means of making sense of students' use and interpretation of words that have both everyday and scientific meanings and their apparent inconsistency in responding to assessment items. Data collected about students' understandings relative to two learning progressions is used to explore this approach.