Investigating the effect of teaching dynamic concepts with the help of thought experiments on the academic progress and cognitive skills of students

Abstract The role of thought experiments in the teaching of experimental sciences and the academic progress of students has been discussed. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of teaching mechanical (dynamic) concepts with a thought experiment approach on academic progress, cognitive learning levels, and cognitive skills (cognitive flexibility and self-regulation skills) of students. This research was quantitative and quasi-experimental conducted with a pre-test-post-test design with experimental and control groups. The statistical population of this research was all 12th-grade female students in the city of Karaj, Alborz province of Iran in the academic year 2023–2024. The research sample included 55 randomly selected students. The measurement tools were a researcher-made test to assess academic progress, the cognitive flexibility questionnaire of Dennis and Vander Wall (2010 Cogn. Ther. Res. 34 241–53) to measure cognitive flexibility, and the learning strategies questionnaire (Pintrich and De Groot 1990) to measure self-regulation skills of students. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the instruments is 0.70, 0.75, and 0.76 respectively. In this research, 6 thought experiments were discussed in six different 75 min training sessions. The data collected in this research were analyzed by ANCOVA and independent t -test. The results of the research showed the positive effect of the thought experiment on students’ academic progress and cognitive skills (cognitive flexibility and self-regulation skills). It was found that the experimental group had higher development in academic achievement and cognitive levels than the control group. It was also observed that despite the academic progress of the control group compared to their pre-test, they had a downward trend in cognitive flexibility and self-regulation skills. The experimental group, however, made progress in cognitive levels, academic achievement, cognitive flexibility and self-regulation.