Engaging students in authentic, open-ended physics problems can develop collaborative inquiry and modelling skills essential for real-world problem solving. We designed a framework and materials for engaging students in collaborative sensemaking, in which students gradually develop layered models that enable an iteratively improved solution to an ill-structured problem in mechanics. The instructional approach and the specific activity can be easily adapted to the secondary or undergraduate levels. This paper discusses the design and implementation of the activity: the task, the scaffoldings that were designed to support students in productively employing a layered approach to modelling during the iterative development of the solution, and the dynamic in-the-moment guidance that was provided through the interaction between the instructors and the students. The activity was piloted during a 180 min workshop with 15 pre-service physics teachers and was documented via video, computer screen recordings, and copies of the artifacts the students generated. The data illustrate the learning processes facilitated by the activity. The students were highly engaged. The examination of their discourse and work revealed a layered approach to modelling, in which the complexity of the models and the accuracy of their predicted solution gradually increased until they reached a solution that satisfied them. Practical guidelines for educators who are interested in integrating authentic, collaborative problem-based learning in physics classrooms are presented.

Modelling is a fundamental practice in scientific inquiry [1, 2] that not only supports the application of theoretical knowledge but also enables students to explore the various levels of abstraction inherent to authentic problem solving. Traditional physics problems—typically found at the end of textbook chapters—provide clear, single-solution exercises in which all necessary data are supplied. In contrast, real-world, open-ended problems [3–5] are often ill-structured [6–11], and require solvers to identify missing information, make reasonable assumptions, and synthesise multiple analytical and computational approaches. Such tasks expose students to the uncertainties and complexities of genuine scientific practice and require collaboration. They can thus foster the development of critical thinking and adaptive problem-solving skills required for solving wicked problems [12–14].

Introduction: Executive functions (EF) are cognitive processes supporting language and reading. Children with dyslexia show reading difficulties primarily due to phonological processing, with additional reported deficits in EF. This study aimed to determine the differences in EF involvement during written (reading) versus oral language (narrative) comprehension in children with dyslexia versus typical readers neurobiologically and behaviorally. Methods: Reading, language, and EF behavioral measures and functional MRI data were collected from 55 typical readers (TR) and 65 English-speaking children with dyslexia ages 8–12 years during reading and narrative comprehension tasks. Differences within and between functional connectivity of EF and attention networks were calculated and then compared between groups and tasks using Fisher Z-transformation. Results: Children with dyslexia showed higher functional connectivity values in EF and attention networks in both reading and narrative comprehension tasks, whereas TR showed higher functional connectivity in narrative versus reading comprehension. Within groups, analysis showed higher functional connectivity within dorsal attention functional brain network (DAN) and between DAN-fronto-parietal (FP), cingulo-opercular (CO)-FP, and ventral attention functional brain network (VAN)-DAN, in the reading versus narrative comprehension task in the dyslexia group. TR showed higher functional connectivity within VAN, and between VAN-FP in the narrative compared to the reading comprehension tasks. Discussion: Children with dyslexia seem to greatly utilize EF and attention-related networks in narrative and reading comprehension tasks and demonstrate a greater network integration for the written versus oral comprehension task. TR, however, utilize these networks only during oral comprehension, which may point to a greater reliance on memory and processing effort in the absence of written information.

Background

Caregivers shape children’s reading abilities and neural networks. While joint reading is well-studied, the impact of parental storytelling on reading-related networks (executive function [EF], attention, sensory processing) before and at the early stages of reading acquisition remains unclear. This study examines whether parental storytelling differentially influences these networks compared to an experimenter’s narration.

Methods

Twenty-four Hebrew-speaking children (5.0–7.11 years; six females) and their parents participated. Pre-literacy and cognitive skills were assessed, and parents completed cognitive control and language questionnaires. Functional MRI data were collected as children listened to their parent narrate a picture-book story and an experimenter read an age-matched story. Functional connectivity within and between attention, EF, language, and sensory networks was analyzed and correlated with behavioral measures.

Results

Parental storytelling elicited stronger connectivity across all networks. Increased EF, attention, and sensory network connectivity correlated positively with book exposure and negatively with reading hours. Stronger sensory processing connectivity during parental narration was linked to better pre-literacy skills. Enhanced audiovisual integration correlated with home literacy, pre-literacy, and later reading abilities.

Conclusions

Parental storytelling engages reading-related networks, supporting pre-literacy and future reading skills beyond exposure to an unfamiliar reader.

Impact

The literature in the field of parent-child interaction and language development repeatedly points to the benefit of book reading to the child with respect to language development.

However, whether there is a particular benefit specifically for parental reading is unknown and whether the child’s brain is stimulated differently when the parent is reading a book (vs an experimenter) is also unknown.

Our results show that parental reading engages brain regions related to cognitive abilities, attention, language abilities and future reading skills in children even prior to reading age. Parental reading is important for the development of these brain regions.

Failure to Teach/Learn Mathematics (FTLM) is a persistent challenge spanning cognitive, affective, and social-institutional dimensions. This Working Group (WG) aims to advance the theorization of FTLM by integrating perspectives from commognition, complexity theory, and technology-based interventions. We will explore nested failure systems and how technology can support productive engagement in mathematics learning. The WG will engage PME participants through empirical data, theoretical conceptualizations, and collaborative discussions.

Abstract. Reading difficulty (RD; dyslexia) is a developmental condition with neurological origins and persistent academic consequences. Children with RD often show deficits in audiovisual integration (AVI) and executive functions. Visual rhythmic reading training (RRT) has been associated with improvements in these domains, but it remains unclear whether such effects generalize to the resting-state brain activity. English-speaking children aged 8–12 years, including typical readers (TRs) and children with RD, were randomly assigned to an 8-week visual RRT or control math training group. Reading assessments and resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) data were collected before and after the intervention. Functional connectivity (FC) analyses examined AVI and its interaction with frontoparietal–cingulo-opercular (FP-CO) cognitive control networks during rest. Following RRT, children with RD showed significant improvements in reading fluency. The RRT group also demonstrated greater changes in AVI, which were associated with increased FC between FP-CO networks and sensory regions during the resting state. RRT improves reading performance and promotes enhanced integration between sensory and executive networks in children with RD, even in the absence of task demands. These findings support the role of RRT in fostering domain-general neuroplasticity beyond reading-specific contexts.Author Summary. Rhythmic reading training (RRT) improves reading performance and promotes enhanced integration between sensory and executive networks in children with reading difficulties, even in the absence of task demands. These findings support the role of RRT in fostering domain-general neuroplasticity beyond reading-specific contexts.

Background

Professional identity formation (PIF) is a critical component of medical education, involving the transformation of medical students into skilled physicians. Despite its importance, there is limited research on the specific aspects of professional identity that develop during different stages of medical training.

Objectives

This study aims to identify the aspects of professional identity formation during the years medical students rotate in different medical departments and to characterize the reflective expressions that support this development.

Methods

A descriptive case-study methodology was employed, involving five medical students participating in a course designed to foster PIF. Data were collected from reflective journals and semi-structured interviews over three years. Directed content analysis was used to identify categories and subcategories of professional identity and reflective expressions.

Results

Seven main categories of professional identity were identified: Reflexivity, Peer relationships, Student’s conception of themselves as future physicians, Effective communication, Specialty choice, Empathy development, and Challenges in the clinical rotations. Reflexivity emerged as the most prominent category, with subcategories including personal emotions, clinical experience, decision-making processes, cultural beliefs, and perceptions of medical hierarchy. Reflective writing evolved over time, showing an increased ability for interpretation and critical reflections.

Conclusions

This study contributes to the existing knowledge by highlighting specific aspects of professional identity formation (PIF) as observed through the reflective expressions of medical students during their clinical rotations. The medical education community could benefit from systematically cultivating aspects of professional identity at each stage of medical studies and throughout their careers.

We present a study that documented the participation of two high school Arab students in Israel in an extended (2-year) authentic physics inquiry that took place in a regional program located in a Hebrew-speaking kibbutz high school. The students' first language is Arabic, but they are fluent in Hebrew, and their inquiry was mentored by a Hebrew-speaking teacher-research-mentor (TRM) who speaks very little Arabic. None of the other students in the classroom spoke Arabic. The situational features of this case reflect the complex structure of uneven power relations between Hebrew and Arabic, between kibbutz and Arab schooling in Israel, and between teachers and students. Within this complex structure of uneven power relations, this study aimed to uncover the functions the deployment of Hebrew and Arabic fulfilled for these students during their engagement in the epistemic practices related to their scientific inquiry. The research approach combined ethnography with sociolinguistic discourse analysis of selected episodes. The findings suggest that the students' spontaneous shifts from Hebrew to Arabic while engaged in scientific epistemic practices often reflected challenges that are more sociocultural than linguistic. They imply that merely legitimizing multilingual discourse in monolingual classrooms may not be enough to support equitable science education, particularly when the students are members of a minoritized group. Teachers should be supported in becoming more attentive to their minoritized students' frames of participation, and researchers should be wary of automatically interpreting minoritized students' deployment of their minority language as merely indicating a difficulty expressing their thoughts in the majority language.

Interactive simulations enhance science education and foster inquiry skills, but their open-ended nature can be cognitively overloading. While adaptive systems offer timely support, research on predicting conceptual understanding in these environments is limited. Most models are simulation-specific, leading to time-consuming and non-generalizable solutions. In this paper, we introduce a universal encoding that converts lower-level interaction data into higher-level features applicable across various open-ended learning environments (OELEs). This encoding aims to offer a general framework to model inquiry across environments and to alleviate challenges such as the “cold start” problem. Our findings demonstrate that models trained on the universal encoding perform comparably to or better than study-specific encodings across multiple contexts. Code is provided in https://github.com/epfl-ml4ed/universal-oele.

Inquiry-based learning with interactive simulations is widely used in STEM education, yet its open-ended nature presents challenges for learners. To support students in reflecting on their inquiry processes, Learning Analytics Dashboards (LADs) offer a promising solution. While learning analytics has been used to analyze inquiry patterns, no prior studies, to our knowledge, have developed learner-friendly dashboards to help middle school students visualize their inquiry processes. Addressing this gap, this study presents the design of two mockups for dashboard aimed at supporting inquiry in interactive simulations. Using a participatory design approach, study 1 involved collaboration between middle school students (n = 18), teachers (n = 5), and a designer to co-design inquiry dashboards, investigating students’ preferences for visual design elements that effectively represent inquiry process. This resulted in two mockups: the Island Design, which integrates a story-like metaphor for engagement, and the Venn Diagram Design, which prioritizes simplicity. Study 2 evaluated interpretation of the designs with 119 students. Results showed that while the Island Design strongly conveyed most inquiry competencies, students preferred the Venn Diagram for its simplicity, highlighting the need to balance engagement with clarity. We present key design preferences and how these are applied in the designs, as well as trade-offs between design elements. This paper marks a step toward developing inquiry dashboards to support inquiry learning in simulations.