Understanding how student‐constructed stop‐motion animations promote mechanistic reasoning: A theoretical framework and empirical evidence

Previous studies have documented the promising results from student-constructed representations, including stop-motion animation (SMA), in supporting mechanistic reasoning (MR), which is considered an essential thinking skill science education. Our current study presents theoretically and empirically how SMA contributes to promoting MR. As a theoretical perspective, we propose framework hypothesizing link between elements of MR construction nature SMA, that is, chunking sequencing. We then examined extent this was consistent with multiple-case domain static electricity involving five secondary school students constructing using their own creation for reasoning. In addition, students' pre- postconstruction examined. empirical findings confirmed our by showing all identified basic MR, entities activities entities, when engaging Chunking played role facilitating identify responsible electrostatic phenomena, sequencing seemed elicit specify these entities. The analysis found student-generated has potential effect on retention use Implications instruction support are discussed.