Original version
Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings. 2018, DOI: 10.1119/perc.2018.pr.Odden
Abstract
Many physics instructors aim to support student sensemaking in their classrooms. However, this can be challenging since instances of sensemaking tend to be short-lived, with students often defaulting to approaches based on answer-making or rote mathematical manipulation. In this study, we present evidence that specific recurring questions can serve a key role in the sensemaking process. Using a case-study of two students discussing an E&M thought experiment, we show how students' entry into sensemaking is marked by the articulation of a particular question, based on a perceived gap or inconsistency in understanding. and how this question recurs throughout their subsequent explanations, arguing that these recurrences may serve to stabilize and extend the process.