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Brain activity links performance in science reasoning with conceptual approach

View ORCID ProfileJessica E. Bartley, View ORCID ProfileMichael C. Riedel, View ORCID ProfileTaylor Salo, View ORCID ProfileEmily R. Boeving, View ORCID ProfileKatherine L. Bottenhorn, Elsa I. Bravo, Rosalie Odean, Alina Nazareth, View ORCID ProfileRobert W. Laird, View ORCID ProfileMatthew T. Sutherland, View ORCID ProfileShannon M. Pruden, View ORCID ProfileEric Brewe, Angela R. Laird
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/526574
Jessica E. Bartley
1Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
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Michael C. Riedel
1Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
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Taylor Salo
2Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
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Emily R. Boeving
2Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
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Katherine L. Bottenhorn
2Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
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Elsa I. Bravo
2Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
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Rosalie Odean
2Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
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Alina Nazareth
3Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Robert W. Laird
1Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
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Matthew T. Sutherland
2Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
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Shannon M. Pruden
2Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
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Eric Brewe
4Department of Physics, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
5Department of Education, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
6Department of Teaching and Learning, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
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Angela R. Laird
1Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
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  • For correspondence: alaird@fiu.edu
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ABSTRACT

Understanding how students learn is crucial for helping them succeed. We examined brain function in 107 undergraduate students during a task known to be challenging for many students – physics problem solving – to characterize underlying neural mechanisms and determine how these support comprehension and proficiency. Further, we applied module analysis to response distributions, defining groups of students who answered using similar physics conceptions, and probed for brain differences linked with different conceptual approaches. We found integrated executive, attentional, visual motion, and default mode brain systems cooperate to achieve sequential and sustained physics-related cognition. While accuracy alone did not predict brain function, dissociable brain patterns were observed when students solved problems using different physics conceptions, and increased success was linked to conceptual coherence. Our analyses demonstrate that episodic associations and control processes operate in tandem to support physics reasoning, offering insight into effective classroom practices to promote student success.

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The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
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Posted January 23, 2019.
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Brain activity links performance in science reasoning with conceptual approach
Jessica E. Bartley, Michael C. Riedel, Taylor Salo, Emily R. Boeving, Katherine L. Bottenhorn, Elsa I. Bravo, Rosalie Odean, Alina Nazareth, Robert W. Laird, Matthew T. Sutherland, Shannon M. Pruden, Eric Brewe, Angela R. Laird
bioRxiv 526574; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/526574
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Brain activity links performance in science reasoning with conceptual approach
Jessica E. Bartley, Michael C. Riedel, Taylor Salo, Emily R. Boeving, Katherine L. Bottenhorn, Elsa I. Bravo, Rosalie Odean, Alina Nazareth, Robert W. Laird, Matthew T. Sutherland, Shannon M. Pruden, Eric Brewe, Angela R. Laird
bioRxiv 526574; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/526574

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