Peer Collaboration and Conceptual Growth in Physics: Task Influences on Children's Understanding of Heating and Cooling

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Abstract
Previous research has shown that peer collaboration can facilitate conceptual change in physics, as long as learners approach the exercise with differing conceptions about the issue at stake. Positive results have been obtained across a wide age range, with a broad selection of topics, and with contrasting modes of task presentation. Despite this, there are indications that differing conceptions is not the only variable significant to outcome and that task design may also be relevant. In this article, we report a study and consider this possibility in the context of 8- to 12-year-olds' conceptions of heating and cooling. Tasks were varied according to (a) whether their problem materials were or were not structured to permit critical testing and (b) whether they did or did not incorporate instructions to generate summary rules. The results showed the general superiority of tasks that both facilitated critical testing and required rules. The features did not operate additively, however, for there were indic...