The Lesson and the Learner: The Effect of Individual Differences and Task Scaffolding on Category Learning

The majority of conceptual change studies have investigated either manipulations of the learning environment or examined the effect of individual differences on conceptual change (Basili & Sanford, 1991; Cordova, et al. 2014; Lee & Anderson, 1993; Taasoobshirazi & Sinatra, 2011). In either case, the importance of interactions is left out. The present study investigates whether individual differences in hot and cold cognitive ability and task scaffolding interact with each other in their effect on conceptual change. Participants were tasked with determining how best to categorize whether a fictitious bacteria is oxygen resistant. Participants learned about the fictitious bacteria in an expository text and then categorized the bacteria--receiving feedback after every trial. After 80 learning trials, the categorization rule was changed. At this point, learners were separated into three conditions. The expository scaffolding condition received an expository text that presented a new theory of oxygen resistance. The refutational scaffolding condition received a refutational text. The text refuted the misconception learned from the initial expository text. The feedback condition received no theory text. All conditions received feedback. Finally, individual differences in analytic ability, working memory, vocabulary knowledge, need for cognition, actively open-minded thinking, and cognitive flexibility were assessed. The results suggest that a refutational text produces better learning gains than an expository text, which outperforms feedback alone. Moreover, hot and cold cognitive factors were found to interact with learner scaffolding differentially. Erroneous conclusions may result from studies that use convenience samples to test the effects of scaffolding on educational outcomes without testing individual differences. The results of this research project can be used to improve instructional practices, which, in turn, should aid learners’ understanding of scientific conceptions, particularly when they are counterintuitive