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oai:www.repository.cam.ac.uk:1810/3507452025-12-19T21:41:15Zcom_1810_205873com_1810_256063col_1810_219498

Examining the Role of Executive Functions and Motivation in Conceptual Change in a Physics Task https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.97109 Said, Tamer Michelle, Ellefson The alteration of students’ ideas in favour of more scientific ones is known as conceptual change. The process might involve a combination of both higher-order cognitive skills and motivational attitudes of students, but few studies have explored all three together. The current study examines the role of executive function skills and motivation alongside conceptual change in physics understanding. The study examines a sample of 426 Egyptian students (M age = 12.5)—an underrepresented population in the literature. The participants completed a short tutorial targeting misconceptions about density. Findings from the structural equation model indicated that executive functions, especially shifting, predicted baseline density understanding (ß = .18, p < .05), but not conceptual gains. Motivational elements, particularly, self-efficacy was a significant positive predictor of conceptual gains (ß = .15, p < .05), but not baseline density understanding. However, performance goal orientation negatively predicted conceptual gains (ß = -.18, p < .05). Implications for teaching and learning are suggested in light of the present findings. University of Cambridge 2022-09-15 Thesis Doctoral Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) eng Cambridge Trust International Scholarship https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/350745 https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/bf7a137a-eaaa-40cb-9446-e6a18d43876b/download 87eda9de84448d1f82354d60eee3eb5f https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/49ddd689-393c-4013-9dff-547c642a20c2/download 5471f5a210a487c5dbc8252860851c2e https://www.rioxx.net/licenses/all-rights-reserved/ Conceptual change executive functions motivation performance goals science education density inhibition self-efficacy goal orientation task value physics education