Directed or Random? Student Reasoning About Diffusion Across Physiological Contexts

Spartan Medical Research Journal 2026 Open access

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Authors: Zach Kam, Maya Shah, Jasmine Parker, Issac Gollapalli
DOI: 10.51894/001c.164398
Cited by: 1

Abstract

BACKGROUNDRandom molecular motion underlies diffusion, chemical reactions, and gas exchange, yet many students explain diffusion primarily as particles moving "from high to low concentration."Rather than treating this as a misconception, we adopt a dynamic systems perspective informed by Knowledge-in-Pieces and Resources frameworks to examine how students coordinate knowledge resources when reasoning about diffusion.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Science Education and Pedagogy Visual and Cognitive Learning Processes Embodied and Extended Cognition

Publication details

Journal / source
Spartan Medical Research Journal
Publisher
Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine Statewide Campus System
Volume
11
Issue
2
Publication date
30 July 2026
Language
EN