Surprise! Shifting students away from model-verifying frames in physics labs

Abstract

Framing affects how students interpret, approach, and accomplish tasks. Little is known, however, about how students frame tasks in physics labs. During the first lab of a sequence designed to teach students about modeling and critical thinking with data, students test a simple model of a pendulum that breaks down with improved measurements. Using in-lab video and follow-up interviews, we identified students' frequent use of a model-verifying frame that substantially interferes with the instructional goals. We present a case study analysis of two students who approach the lab with a model-verifying frame, engage in problematic behaviors including questionable research practices, but later shift their frames to accommodate goals aligned with instructional intention. As instructors transition their instructional labs to open-inquiry experiences, an activity that directly challenges the model-verifying frame may be productive for shifting students away from this problematic frame to one that supports their engagement in authentic experimentation.