DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF A STEM WAYS OF THINKING FRAMEWORK

<p dir="ltr">This dissertation is situated within the context of a reform initiative being implemented in</p><p dir="ltr">the laboratory component of an introductory physics course for first-year students in a large</p><p dir="ltr">mid-western U.S. public university. Research shows that integrating Engineering Design</p><p dir="ltr">(ED) into science classrooms has the potential to enhance student learning. Following this</p><p dir="ltr">evidence, we integrated ED into the physics laboratory curriculum.</p><p dir="ltr">We assessed the educational gains of this approach and adopted a data-driven strategy</p><p dir="ltr">to inform future iterations of our interventions. Research indicates that students do not</p><p dir="ltr">always consciously engage with science concepts; instead, they often rely on trial-and-error</p><p dir="ltr">strategies—an issue referred to as the design-science gap. In response, some researchers have</p><p dir="ltr">proposed the use of “Ways of Thinking” frameworks to promote deeper student learning.</p><p dir="ltr">Motivated by both the existing literature and our local educational goals, we quali-</p><p dir="ltr">tatively explored students’ Ways of Thinking—specifically, design-based thinking, science-</p><p dir="ltr">based thinking, mathematics-based thinking, metacognitive reflection, and computational</p><p dir="ltr">thinking. This was done through analysis of student artifacts such as group discussion tran-</p><p dir="ltr">scripts and written reports submitted as part of engineering design-based tasks within the</p><p dir="ltr">laboratory.</p><p dir="ltr">Given the often-blurred distinction between the concepts of design and science, we set</p><p dir="ltr">out to characterize these notions in the context of engineering design-based (ED-based)</p><p dir="ltr">physics tasks. In doing so, we introduced and applied a new framework to physics education</p><p dir="ltr">research, called Ways of Thinking for Engineering Design-based Physics (WoT4EDP). This</p><p dir="ltr">framework draws on elements from national reform documents and contemporary physics</p><p dir="ltr">education research.</p><p dir="ltr">We argue that instruction should move beyond the notion of a design-science gap and</p><p dir="ltr">instead focus on fostering a design-science connection. To support more effective problem-</p><p dir="ltr">solving, students may need: (i) guidance to engage in meaningful metacognition that en-</p><p dir="ltr">hances their design thinking; (ii) scaffolded support to promote computational thinking</p><p dir="ltr">through Python coding; and (iii) structured guidance for effective problem framing.</p><p dir="ltr">Our findings have implications for educational researchers and instructors who wish to</p><p dir="ltr">adopt design-based learning as an instructional approach.</p>