Peer Discourse in Process-Based Physics Tasks: Discursive Moves and Meaning-Making in Asynchronous Learning

Abstract

This study examines the nature of peer discourse in an asynchronous introductory physics course that was intentionally redesigned from traditional discussion formats to process-based tasks requiring students to externalize their thinking through handwritten work, diagrams, concept maps, tables, and structured explanations. Drawing on qualitative content analysis, 64 peer responses generated by 18 students across four discussion modules in mechanics were analyzed. Rather than applying predefined instructional categories or assigning a single dominant code, responses were coded inductively to identify all discursive moves present within each contribution, allowing multiple overlapping forms of engagement to be captured within individual responses. The analysis revealed that peer discourse was strongly characterized by active engagement, including probing reasoning, interpreting representations, negotiating conceptual understanding, co-constructing explanations, and extending ideas. Conceptual negotiation and probing reasoning were particularly prominent, indicating sustained attention to underlying physics concepts and solution processes, while surface-level responses constituted a relatively small portion of the dataset. Qualitative examination of full student responses further demonstrated that individual contributions frequently integrated multiple discursive moves, highlighting the layered and dynamic nature of peer interaction. These findings suggest that process-based task design not only supports individual reasoning but also reshapes peer discourse by centering visible thinking and reasoning processes. In the context of increasing reliance on AI tools, this approach offers a pathway for promoting authentic student engagement and reducing dependence on answer-focused interactions. The study contributes to understanding how instructional design influences peer interaction and highlights the potential of structured, process-oriented discourse as a site of learning in asynchronous environments.