Work

How students can use coherence to reconstruct a partially forgotten equation

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Introductory physics instruction emphasizes fluency with routine problem-solving procedures. However, even when applying these procedures, students frequently encounter challenges. This paper investigates how students navigate such moments when answering qualitative electricity and magnetism problems in interviews. Students frequently noted they had partially forgotten a key equation on a problem involving circuits. We present focal cases that show how coherence-seeking approaches were employed to overcome this problem-solving challenge. In attempts to reconstruct these equations, participants identified and chained qualitative dependencies and sought coherence between qualitative and mathematical understanding of the physical system. These moments of forgetting and reconstructing equations are a useful site for studying broader physics learning goals. While prior work investigates the use of mathematical sensemaking by examining how students respond to explicit prompts, our cases illustrate how students can spontaneously use mathematical sensemaking strategies. We reflect on these cases to consider how such adaptive reasoning can be a target for instruction and assessment.

Source: Physical Review Physics Education Research

DOI: 10.1103/yfxm-m4sw

Authors: Katherine Gifford, Gabriel S. Ehrlich, Engin Bumbacher, Eric Kuo

Institutions: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Haute École Pédagogique du Canton de Vaud

Language: English

Topic: Science Education and Pedagogy

Subfield: Education

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Quality education

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,000