Capps receives $449K grant to research how students, teachers learn about nature of scientific models
Scientific models are abstractions of the phenomena they represent.
And even though abstraction is a well-acknowledged characteristic of models, researchers and science educators traditionally have not used this idea to support instruction since students often have a hard time grasping abstract concepts.
Now, with the help of a $449,849 grant awarded by the National Science Foundation, Daniel Capps, an assistant professor in the department of mathematics and science education, will conduct a three-year study to advance students’ understanding of what models are while also enhancing the instruction of science educators.
A major problem in modeling pedagogy is that learners tend to see models as ‘copies’ of reality," said Capps. “We argue that it is useful to think of models as abstractions, or ideas that are pulled away from the particular circumstances of a given source.