David Burstein
School of Education,
Tel Aviv University

PI: Dr. Reuven Babai

Overcoming the Intuitive Trap: The Interplay of Representation and Instruction in Proportional Reasoning

Project description

Proportional reasoning is a fundamental skill essential for success in science, mathematics, and everyday decision-making. However, this critical skill is frequently hindered by intuitive interference - a potent cognitive bias where irrelevant salient features (e.g., absolute quantities) dominate reasoning and lead to systematic errors. While several interventions strategies have been proposed, recent research often isolated the format of the problem from the method of instruction. Bridging this gap is the critical missing link required to decode the mechanisms of overcoming interference, shifting the focus from correcting student errors to scientifically crafted tasks that bypass intuitive traps.

This project proposes a novel, integrated framework to reduce significantly intuitive interference by examining the interaction between representation and instruction factors. We will contrast symbolic (Arabic numerals) with nonsymbolic (arrays of dots) representations, while simultaneously manipulating instructions - comparing standard against designed instructions that trigger rate-per-unit reasoning.

By analyzing the accuracy and reaction time to correct responses across this unexplored intersection of factors, this research will illuminate the cognitive mechanisms involved in overcoming interference in proportional reasoning, contributing to the science of learning by demonstrating how designed instructions and representations can mitigate intuitive bias in science and mathematics reasoning.

About me

I hold a B.Sc. in Mathematics and a teaching certificate in mathematics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a M.A. in Mathematics Education from Tel Aviv University. Currently, I am a PhD student in the School of Education at Tel Aviv University, working under the supervision of Dr. Reuven Babai. My research investigates the cognitive mechanisms of intuitive interference in proportional reasoning; utilizing advanced quantitative analysis and experimental design.