To return to part 1 of this paper, click here. The theoretical model of learning that underlies the planning and interpretation of experimental results in physics education research is often tacit, especially for researchers within the discipline of physics itself. Nonetheless, the model is clearly present and draws broadly from research in cognitive science and education. I refer to this model of student learning as the cognitive model. Producing significant conceptual change is difficult and can be facilitated through a variety of known mechanisms.
Individuals show a significant variation in their style of learning along a number of dimensions.
For most individuals, learning is most effectively carried out via social interactions. The use of knowledge is context dependent. Spontaneous thought is rarely metacognitive. For most students, scientific thought and mathematically logical thinking not spontaneously occur and must be explicitly taught. The logical structure and epistemology of the content must be carefully analyzed and taught explicitly.