Designing for and investigating elementary students’ cognitive flexibility, science, and literacy achievement in project-based science learning

Abstract We describe scientific understanding in a project-based learning (PBL) environment as the context for developing cognitive flexibility through social constructivism and meaningful problem solving, which we argue are required for science learning as described in reform documents. Cognitive flexibility enables students to respond to ill-structured problems by recognizing different ideas as possible solution pathways. Building on research showing that cognitive flexibility supports literacy achievement through adaptive decision-making, we focus on instruction that engages students in seeking multiple scientific ideas to address the same phenomenon or problem in collaborative settings. We developed and validated an instrument to measure cognitive flexibility, designed in conjunction with our PBL curriculum, and examined its predictive relationship with science and literacy achievement among 781 diverse third graders. Using expert review and confirmatory factor analysis, we established the instrument’s validity and reliability. Results show that cognitive flexibility significantly predicts science achievement (β = .269, p <.001) and literacy achievement (β = .489, p <.001), with consistent effects across student demographic groups. Our findings suggest that PBL offers authentic opportunities for students to develop cognitive flexibility alongside scientific understanding and literacy. We discuss implications for designing integrated learning environments that promote cognitive flexibility as a critical skill for problem-solving in science and literacy contexts.