Work

Cognitive dimensions in students’ mental models of linear light polarization

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Learners often struggle to develop expandable mental models of polarization due to its abstract nature and the multitude of models used to describe it. A closer examination of the structure of mental models for linear polarization is therefore worthwhile in order to gain insight into mental abstraction processes. Existing research has largely documented misconceptions, leaving the underlying cognitive structures of mental models insufficiently explored. To address this gap, we employed the Fidelities Model of Conceptual Development (FMCD) to investigate learners’ cognitions of linear polarization. The framework, distinguishes two dimensions of students’ mental models: Gestalt, which refers to visual and structural representations, and Functionality, which captures how well a model explains underlying processes. The degrees to which these dimensions align with reality allow for a typification of learners’ reasoning patterns. We developed a test instrument based on established students’ mental models and validated it through expert review and think-aloud studies. In a cross-sectional survey with N = 178 German secondary school and university students, confirmatory factor analysis confirmed a robust two-factor structure ( CFI = 0.96 , RMSEA = 0.03 , SRMR = 0.07 ) with solid factor-reliability ( ω FF = 0.71 , ω FG = 0.81 ). Descriptive results showed developmental trends: while secondary students often exhibited “dual” models combining both FG and FF, university students increasingly relied on functionally oriented reasoning. The findings validate the FMCD in the domain of polarization and provide a diagnostic tool that informs instructional design for supporting students’ conceptual development in optics.

Source: Physical Review Physics Education Research

DOI: 10.1103/hng2-97bk

Authors: Judith M. Schmid, Joaquin Veith, Philipp Bitzenbauer

Institution: Leipzig University

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