Abduction and analogy in scientific model construction

This study uses qualitative case study methods to study innovative teaching in biology at the middle school level. The findings are then compared to findings from a previous study of learning in electricity at the high school level. By looking for common successful learning processes in two different subject matter domains, we identify teaching strategies that foster conceptual growth and that are candidates for being considered general teaching strategies in science. The teachers in both domains used new approaches to teaching that are innovative in the way that they foster active learning of conceptual models on the part of the student. In order to understand the nature of the teaching and learning processes generated by these teachers, we attempt to develop a finer grained set of concepts and language for describing them. Framework and Previous Research Recent work has identified model construction cycles of generation, evaluation, and modification (GEM cycles) as a promising process in conceptual growth (Clement, 2000b; Nunez, et al, 2002). One of the elements still missing is sufficient discussion of cognitive processes of the teacher and students working together while building mental models. This paper will focus on abductive model generation within GEM cycles as defined above. Cognitive science researchers have provided exciting new resources for theory development in this area. For example, Nersessian’s (1990) studies of Faraday and Maxwell have caused a stir in the Cognitive Science and History of Science communities because of her new emphasis on nondeductive processes such as model based abductive theory construction that works in progressive cycles of partially correct models. Peirce (1958) and Hanson (1958) used the term abduction to describe the process of formulating an hypothesis which, if it were true, would provide an explanation for the phenomenon in question. Settings This paper examines abductive model generation and the instructional strategies that support it in tutoring studies in two domains: electricity and respiration. Respiration Lessons. We analyze data from a study using a curriculum that deals with pulmonary and cellular respiration, circulation, and digestion at the 7 grade level. In this curriculum students are asked to play an active role in initiating model construction in small groups via questions like “can you explain using a drawing how blood gets to your big toe? ” These initial questions take place before students are given any information about circulation. Later activities foster criticism and revision of the student models. Only after students have developed some models and “own the questions” do they compare their models to targeted models. Lessons on Electric Circuits. In this curriculum student-drawn color coding of air pressure levels is used as a global analogy to help high school students comprehend an intuitive prototype conception of electric potential as “electric pressure” in a compressible fluid of “charge” in conducting matter. The CASTLE curriculum in electricity has been cited as a proven effective program by the Program Effectiveness Panel (U.S. Dept. of Education), based on data from field testing in 22 U.S. high schools (Steinberg, et al, 2000) and large sections have been adapted by