IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/phsmap/v626y2023ics0378437123006295.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Introducing mindset streams to investigate stances towards STEM in high school students and experts

Author

Listed:
  • Brian, Kieran
  • Stella, Massimo

Abstract

We introduce mindset streams for assessing ways of bridging two target concepts in concept maps. We focus on behavioural forma mentis networks (BFMN), which map the associative and affective dimensions of memory recalls. Inspired by trains of thoughts taking several paths to link ideas, mindset streams are defined as BFMN subgraphs induced by all shortest paths between two target concepts, e.g. all recalls in shortest paths bridging “math” and “learning”. These streams quantify the following features of the mindset encoded in a BFMN: (i) semantic content (i.e. which ideas mediate connections between targets?), (ii) valence coherence/conflict (i.e. are connections mediated by entwining ideas perceived negatively, positively or neutrally?), and (iii) semantic relevance (i.e. are the bridges between targets peripheral or central for the connectivity/betweenness of the BFMN?). We investigate mindset streams between ‘maths”/“physics” and key motivational aspects of learning (“fun”, “work”, “failure”) in two BFMNs, encoding how 159 students and 59 experts perceived and associated concepts about Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM), respectively. Statistical comparisons against configuration models show that high schoolers bridge “maths” and “fun” only through overabundant levels of valence-conflicting associations, contrasting negatively perceived domain knowledge with peer-related positive experiences. This conflict is absent in the researchers’ mindset stream, which rather bridges “math” and “fun” through positive, science-related associations. The mindset streams of both groups bridge “maths” and “physics” to “work” through mostly positive career-related jargon. Students’ mindset streams of “failure” and “math”/“physics” are dominated by negative associations with test anxiety, whereas researchers integrate “failure” and “math”/“physics” in semantically richer and more positive contexts, denoting failure itself as a cornerstone of STEM learning. We discuss our findings and future research directions in view of relevant psychology/education literature.

Suggested Citation

  • Brian, Kieran & Stella, Massimo, 2023. "Introducing mindset streams to investigate stances towards STEM in high school students and experts," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 626(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:626:y:2023:i:c:s0378437123006295
    DOI: 10.1016/j.physa.2023.129074
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378437123006295
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only. Journal offers the option of making the article available online on Science direct for a fee of $3,000
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.physa.2023.129074?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Adilson Vital & Diego R. Amancio, 2022. "A comparative analysis of local similarity metrics and machine learning approaches: application to link prediction in author citation networks," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(10), pages 6011-6028, October.
    2. Cynthia S. Q. Siew & Dirk U. Wulff & Nicole M. Beckage & Yoed N. Kenett, 2019. "Cognitive Network Science: A Review of Research on Cognition through the Lens of Network Representations, Processes, and Dynamics," Complexity, Hindawi, vol. 2019, pages 1-24, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Stefan Claus & Massimo Stella, 2022. "Natural Language Processing and Cognitive Networks Identify UK Insurers’ Trends in Investor Day Transcripts," Future Internet, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-18, October.
    2. Ammar Al-Sharaa & Mastura Adam & Amer Siddiq Amer Nordin & Riyadh Mundher & Ameer Alhasan, 2022. "Assessment of Wayfinding Performance in Complex Healthcare Facilities: A Conceptual Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-20, December.
    3. Yoshiaki Fujita & Michael S. Vitevitch, 2022. "Using network analyses to examine the extent to which and in what ways psychology is multidisciplinary," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-11, December.
    4. Joseph, Simmi Marina & Citraro, Salvatore & Morini, Virginia & Rossetti, Giulio & Stella, Massimo, 2023. "Cognitive network neighborhoods quantify feelings expressed in suicide notes and Reddit mental health communities," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 610(C).
    5. Stella, Massimo, 2020. "Multiplex networks quantify robustness of the mental lexicon to catastrophic concept failures, aphasic degradation and ageing," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 554(C).
    6. Olga Valba & Alexander Gorsky & Sergei Nechaev & Mikhail Tamm, 2021. "Analysis of English free association network reveals mechanisms of efficient solution of Remote Association Tests," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(4), pages 1-15, April.
    7. Xuefang Feng & Jie Liu, 2023. "The developmental trajectories of L2 lexical-semantic networks," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-12, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:626:y:2023:i:c:s0378437123006295. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/physica-a-statistical-mechpplications/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.