Sensemaking in sound from a free response final exam for 6th grade Physics

This article investigates the sensemaking demonstrated in 6th grade students’ written responses to a single question free response final exam for physics asking them to recount everything they learned over the course of the academic year. International exams such as the PISA and TIMSS show that students continue to have persistent difficulties with their comprehension, and appreciation, of science. Sensemaking and development of a deeper understanding of concepts is of fundamental importance when teaching science, but little progress has been made over the ensuing decades. The research questions are: What sensemaking of physics is communicated through a single question free response exam? In particular, what topics are preferred by students and how are the semiotic resources of written and visual representations utilized to express sensemaking? With specific attention given to the topic of sound we observe two levels of comprehension we define as Basic and Advanced, related to Bloom’s Taxonomy, and we see evidence that previously low-performing students are capable of Advanced level sensemaking, thereby lending support to recent research calling for an increase in the level of complexity employed in primary and lower secondary science curricula. In addition to the sensemaking analysis, we discuss how these results are facilitated by the single question free response format which has been completely unexplored in the research literature and has the potential to be a valuable asset for research on or using assessment, as well as for teacher self-assessment.

💡 Research Summary

This study investigates the sensemaking displayed by French 6th‑grade (equivalent to U.S. 7th‑grade) students on a final physics exam that consisted of a single open‑ended prompt asking them to recount everything they had learned during the year. The authors collected written responses from a cohort that received one hour of physics per week, with only four of the total twenty instructional hours devoted to the topic of sound. By analysing the students’ texts and any accompanying drawings or diagrams, the researchers sought to answer two main questions: (1) which physics topics are most frequently mentioned and how deeply are they discussed, and (2) how are semiotic resources—written language and visual representations—employed to convey sensemaking.

The analysis framework distinguishes three dimensions: (a) topic frequency, (b) depth of scientific discussion, and (c) type of visual representation (depictive versus descriptive, following Schnotz). Within the “sound” topic, two levels of sensemaking emerged. The “Basic” level corresponds to Bloom’s lower-order categories (remembering and understanding) and consists of simple definitions, everyday examples, or a list of properties. The “Advanced” level aligns with higher‑order categories (applying, analyzing, evaluating) and includes explanations of wave propagation, the role of the medium, relationships between frequency, amplitude, and perceived pitch, and the use of equations or graphs to quantify these relationships.

A notable finding is that students previously identified as low‑performing also produced Advanced‑level responses, challenging the common assumption that complex concepts are beyond the reach of younger learners. Visual analysis revealed that students who combined depictive sketches (e.g., wave fronts, vibrating sources) with descriptive diagrams (e.g., graphs of frequency versus pitch) tended to demonstrate higher‑order sensemaking. This supports the Multiple Representations principle from the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, which posits that integrating words and pictures enhances conceptual understanding.

The authors argue that the single‑question free‑response format offers a rare “self‑selected portfolio” of student thinking, capturing not only content knowledge but also affective and epistemic stances that standard multiple‑choice or short‑answer tests miss. They suggest that such an instrument can serve both research purposes and teacher self‑assessment, providing insight into which aspects of instruction are retained, which are privileged by students, and where misconceptions persist.

In the broader context, the paper situates its findings within decades of physics education research that has documented stagnant PISA/TIMSS scores and persistent misconceptions. By demonstrating that deeper, more abstract physics ideas can be accessed by younger learners when given the opportunity to express themselves freely and to use multiple semiotic modes, the study calls for curriculum designers and policymakers to reconsider the tendency to simplify content for lower secondary levels.

In summary, the paper contributes (1) empirical evidence that a single open‑ended exam item can reliably reveal nuanced sensemaking, (2) a clear link between the use of combined visual‑verbal representations and higher‑order understanding, and (3) a challenge to the prevailing belief that complex physics concepts are unsuitable for 6th‑grade curricula. These insights have implications for instructional design, teacher professional development, and the development of assessment tools that aim to capture not just what students know, but how they construct meaning.