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  • Open Access

Dissecting an interview about astronomical distances using three models

Willem Keppens

Christopher Robin Samuelsson and Urban Eriksson

Lauren Barth-Cohen

Jan Sermeus

  • Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200C, 3001 Leuven, Belgium; LESEC, KU Leuven, Belgium; and LIVO, KU Leuven, Belgium

  • Division for PER, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, 75120 Uppsala, Sweden

  • Educational Psychology and Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah, 1721 Campus Center Drive, SAEC 3220, Salt Lake City, Utah 84109, USA

  • Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200C, 3001 Leuven, Belgium; LESEC, KU Leuven, Belgium; LIVO, KU Leuven, Belgium; Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Dekenstraat 2, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; and Royal Observatory of Belgium, Planetarium, Bouchoutlaan 10, 1020 Brussels, Belgium

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Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 22, 020137 – Published 1 October, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/9vhd-fbfv

Abstract

There are few studies that compare several theoretical models concerning conceptual understanding. We hypothesize that different models can provide complementary perspectives. In this work, we analyze the video and audio data from an interview with one student (Mark) using three different theoretical models: framework theory (FWT), knowledge-in-pieces (KiP), and social semiotics (SS). The interview discusses distances and sizes in the local universe (Earth, Moon, and Sun) and observable astronomical phenomena: the apparent sizes of the Moon and Sun, solar eclipses, and lunar phases. The results suggest a misconception (from FWT), a localized p-prim (from KiP), and a transductive chain (from SS). However, much more than the individual contributions, the results suggest the complementary nature of the different models. We argue for more work that combines different models both to understand data in a more detailed and nuanced way and to advance theory.

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Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 22, 020137– Published 1 October, 2026
  • Received 4 June 2026
  • Accepted 28 August 2026
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