Student Sensemaking on Electrostatics Problems Involving the Method of Images through the Lens of Epistemic Game Framework
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| Title: | Student Sensemaking on Electrostatics Problems Involving the Method of Images through the Lens of Epistemic Game Framework |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Jaya Shivangani Kashyap (ORCID |
| Source: | Physical Review Physics Education Research. 2026 22(1). |
| Availability: | American Physical Society. One Physics Ellipse 4th Floor, College Park, MD 20740-3844. Tel: 301-209-3200; Fax: 301-209-0865; e-mail: assocpub@aps.org; Web site: https://journals.aps.org/prper/ |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 31 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Physics, Problem Solving, Advanced Students, Graduate Students, College Science, Cognitive Processes, Epistemology, Scaffolding (Teaching Technique), Individual Differences, Guidance |
| DOI: | 10.1103/j6lc-c5q8 |
| ISSN: | 2469-9896 |
| Abstract: | Understanding the mechanisms of student sensemaking while navigating the physics problem-solving process can play an important role in developing approaches to helping students become proficient problem solvers. Since most prior studies on student sensemaking in physics have focused on introductory physics, this study sheds light on a relatively unexplored research area involving advanced physics students' sensemaking. We conducted individual interviews with graduate students to investigate their sensemaking while solving upper-level undergraduate electrostatics problems in the context of the method of images. Analysis through the lens of the epistemic game framework proposed by Tuminaro and Redish shows that the central part of student sensemaking can be mapped onto the Pictorial Analysis game, with other epistemic games also playing a role, but the ontological components of some games require refinement. The study involves an in-depth comparison of sensemaking on related but distinct problems for individual graduate students and a comparison between multiple students solving the same problems. It provides insights into how graduate students transfer and translate strategies between different problems while sensemaking. Graduate students showed persistence in activating different knowledge resources and consistent use of reasoning primitives across different problems, such as a "balancing" primitive multiple times while sensemaking. The study investigated the impact of small nudging and scaffolding that resulted in significant improvements in graduate students' problem-solving approaches. Another novel finding is that graduate students' problem-solving approaches significantly improved with successive attempts and multiple drawings for the same problem and across problems. Often, graduate students initially drew more three-dimensional figures with conducting planes given in the problem statement to visualize and understand the problem; they also drew diagrams from different viewing angles, which helped in improving their physical understanding and comprehension of the symmetry of the underlying problem. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1508068 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: eric DbLabel: ERIC An: EJ1508068 AccessLevel: 3 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
| IllustrationInfo | |
| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Student Sensemaking on Electrostatics Problems Involving the Method of Images through the Lens of Epistemic Game Framework – Name: Language Label: Language Group: Lang Data: English – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jaya+Shivangani+Kashyap%22">Jaya Shivangani Kashyap</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4102-1636">0000-0003-4102-1636</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Chandralekha+Singh%22">Chandralekha Singh</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1234-5458">0000-0002-1234-5458</externalLink>) – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Physical+Review+Physics+Education+Research%22"><i>Physical Review Physics Education Research</i></searchLink>. 2026 22(1). – Name: Avail Label: Availability Group: Avail Data: American Physical Society. One Physics Ellipse 4th Floor, College Park, MD 20740-3844. Tel: 301-209-3200; Fax: 301-209-0865; e-mail: assocpub@aps.org; Web site: https://journals.aps.org/prper/ – Name: PeerReviewed Label: Peer Reviewed Group: SrcInfo Data: Y – Name: Pages Label: Page Count Group: Src Data: 31 – Name: DatePubCY Label: Publication Date Group: Date Data: 2026 – Name: TypeDocument Label: Document Type Group: TypDoc Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research – Name: Audience Label: Education Level Group: Audnce Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink> – Name: Subject Label: Descriptors Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Physics%22">Physics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Problem+Solving%22">Problem Solving</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Advanced+Students%22">Advanced Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Graduate+Students%22">Graduate Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Science%22">College Science</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cognitive+Processes%22">Cognitive Processes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Epistemology%22">Epistemology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Scaffolding+%28Teaching+Technique%29%22">Scaffolding (Teaching Technique)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Individual+Differences%22">Individual Differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Guidance%22">Guidance</searchLink> – Name: DOI Label: DOI Group: ID Data: 10.1103/j6lc-c5q8 – Name: ISSN Label: ISSN Group: ISSN Data: 2469-9896 – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Understanding the mechanisms of student sensemaking while navigating the physics problem-solving process can play an important role in developing approaches to helping students become proficient problem solvers. Since most prior studies on student sensemaking in physics have focused on introductory physics, this study sheds light on a relatively unexplored research area involving advanced physics students' sensemaking. We conducted individual interviews with graduate students to investigate their sensemaking while solving upper-level undergraduate electrostatics problems in the context of the method of images. Analysis through the lens of the epistemic game framework proposed by Tuminaro and Redish shows that the central part of student sensemaking can be mapped onto the Pictorial Analysis game, with other epistemic games also playing a role, but the ontological components of some games require refinement. The study involves an in-depth comparison of sensemaking on related but distinct problems for individual graduate students and a comparison between multiple students solving the same problems. It provides insights into how graduate students transfer and translate strategies between different problems while sensemaking. Graduate students showed persistence in activating different knowledge resources and consistent use of reasoning primitives across different problems, such as a "balancing" primitive multiple times while sensemaking. The study investigated the impact of small nudging and scaffolding that resulted in significant improvements in graduate students' problem-solving approaches. Another novel finding is that graduate students' problem-solving approaches significantly improved with successive attempts and multiple drawings for the same problem and across problems. Often, graduate students initially drew more three-dimensional figures with conducting planes given in the problem statement to visualize and understand the problem; they also drew diagrams from different viewing angles, which helped in improving their physical understanding and comprehension of the symmetry of the underlying problem. – Name: AbstractInfo Label: Abstractor Group: Ab Data: As Provided – Name: DateEntry Label: Entry Date Group: Date Data: 2026 – Name: AN Label: Accession Number Group: ID Data: EJ1508068 |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1508068 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1103/j6lc-c5q8 Languages: – Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 31 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Physics Type: general – SubjectFull: Problem Solving Type: general – SubjectFull: Advanced Students Type: general – SubjectFull: Graduate Students Type: general – SubjectFull: College Science Type: general – SubjectFull: Cognitive Processes Type: general – SubjectFull: Epistemology Type: general – SubjectFull: Scaffolding (Teaching Technique) Type: general – SubjectFull: Individual Differences Type: general – SubjectFull: Guidance Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Student Sensemaking on Electrostatics Problems Involving the Method of Images through the Lens of Epistemic Game Framework Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Jaya Shivangani Kashyap – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Chandralekha Singh IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 01 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-electronic Value: 2469-9896 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 22 – Type: issue Value: 1 Titles: – TitleFull: Physical Review Physics Education Research Type: main |
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