@article {900, title = {A COGNITIVE MODEL TO ANALYSE PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS: MENTAL REPRESENTATIONS IMPLIED IN SOLVING ACTIONS}, journal = {Journal of Baltic Science Education}, volume = {19}, year = {2020}, month = {October/2020}, pages = {Continuous}, type = {Original article}, chapter = {730-746}, abstract = {In physics and chemistry, the development of problem-solving skills is necessary to become an expert. A simple cognitive model to analyse such development is proposed and tested. An exploratory research was conducted with expert professors and students in initial and advanced years. A think aloud procedure was used to obtain relevant data while the participants tried to solve undefined, open problems. Solving these problems required a particular skill representative of expertise: modelling reality using science. More than 1350 solving actions were collected and related to the mental representations elaborated, developed and inter-related by solvers. The proposed model was able to account for expert-novice differences in terms of the respective distributions of solving actions among the mental representations. Large differences appeared in the mental representation of Conceptual scientific Model. In addition, advanced and initial students showed similar and significant averages of unproductive actions, while experts took very few. Experts showed high convergence in their distributions of actions among the mental representations. If the outcomes were replicated with higher external validity, the model could help researchers to analyse the cognitive mechanisms in problem-solving, and teachers to better focus their efforts on specific students{\textquoteright} lacks.}, keywords = {cognitive model, expert-novice differences, mental representations, problem-solving skills, solving actions}, issn = {1648-3898}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.33225/jbse/20.19.730}, url = {http://oaji.net/articles/2020/987-1602524564.pdf}, author = {Vanessa {\'A}lvarez and Tarcilo Torres and Zulma Gangoso and Vicente Sanjos{\'e}} } @article {407, title = {OBSTACLES MODELLING REALITY: TWO EXPLORATORY STUDIES ON PHYSICS DEFINED AND UNDEFINED PROBLEMS}, journal = {Journal of Baltic Science Education}, volume = {13}, year = {2014}, month = {December/2014}, pages = {Continuous}, type = {Original article}, chapter = {883{\textendash}895 }, abstract = {One important skill to be developed in future physicists is modelling reality using physics. Problem-solving is the activity most used to teach, learn and assess physics skills at the university level. However, most of the problems habitually used in physics subjects seem not to encourage developing this skill. Two empirical exploratory studies were conducted. Educational materials were analysed to contrast the hypothesis asserting that most of the academic problems would not help students to develop the modelling skills. Secondly, with the proposed {\textquoteleft}Physics Problem Understanding Model{\textquoteright}, two kinds of experimental problems were elaborated. A small group of experts solved the experimental problems in an interview. The hypothesis stated that there would be evident differences between skills associated with the solving procedures of each type of experimental problem. Results served to contrast the cognitive model proposed for sufficiency and supported the hypotheses even though further studies are needed to obtain external validity.}, keywords = {cognitive model, modelling skills, problem statements, university level}, issn = {1648-3898}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.33225/jbse/14.13.883}, url = {http://oaji.net/articles/2015/987-1450982799.pdf}, author = {Mar{\'\i}a Elena Truyol and Vicente Sanjos{\'e} and Zulma Gangoso} }