Examining the Influences of Teacher's Framing of Modeling Practices on Elementary Students' Engagement in Scientific Modeling

Abstract

Scientific modeling is one of the core scientific practices that are critical to learner’s knowledge-building. Despite the increasing emphasis on scientific modeling in the community of science education, more information/research is needed to better inform teachers as to how they can support epistemically-rich, non-procedural engagement in modeling. In this study, we use Epistemologies in Practice as our theoretical framework to examine students’ engagement in modeling practice. We used a comparison approach to analyze 26 classroom video recordings in order to understand how two teachers framed modeling practices in the same modeling-based unit. In doing so, we analyzed what support teachers provided students as they engaged in modeling and how that might have led to students’ engagement in several epistemic aspects of modeling practices. Our findings suggest that how teachers framed the purpose and goals of modeling appeared to have a great influence on how students engaged in the modeling practice.