Alternative Conceptions in Education

Alternative Conceptions

Alternative Conceptions

and Concept Change

and Concept Change

Image from 

Fish is Fish

 by Leo Lionni



Students come to school with alternative

Students come to school with alternative

conceptions of the real world - they are

conceptions of the real world - they are

not “tabula rasa” or “empty vessels.”

not “tabula rasa” or “empty vessels.”



Alternative conceptions are:

Alternative conceptions are:



“naive” attempts to explain the natural world.

“naive” attempts to explain the natural world.



highly resistant to change.

highly resistant to change.



strongly influence new learning.

strongly influence new learning.



Can you think of any?

Can you think of any?

Fish is Fish

Fish Is Fish

Fish Is Fish

 (Lionni, 1970) describes a fish who is

 (Lionni, 1970) describes a fish who is

keenly interested in learning about what happens on

keenly interested in learning about what happens on

land, but the fish cannot explore land because it can

land, but the fish cannot explore land because it can

only breathe in water. It befriends a tadpole who

only breathe in water. It befriends a tadpole who

grows into a frog and eventually goes out onto the

grows into a frog and eventually goes out onto the

land. The frog returns to the pond a few weeks later

land. The frog returns to the pond a few weeks later

and reports on what he has seen. The frog describes

and reports on what he has seen. The frog describes

all kinds of things like birds, cows, and people. The

all kinds of things like birds, cows, and people. The

book shows pictures of the fish's representations of

book shows pictures of the fish's representations of

each of these descriptions: each is a fish-like form

each of these descriptions: each is a fish-like form

that is slightly adapted to accommodate the frog's

that is slightly adapted to accommodate the frog's

descriptions--people are imagined to be fish who

descriptions--people are imagined to be fish who

walk on their tailfins, birds are fish with wings, cows

walk on their tailfins, birds are fish with wings, cows

are fish with udders. This tale illustrates both the

are fish with udders. This tale illustrates both the

creative opportunities and dangers inherent in the

creative opportunities and dangers inherent in the

fact that people construct new knowledge based on

fact that people construct new knowledge based on

prior knowledge.

prior knowledge.



Under the influence of constant force,

Under the influence of constant force,

objects move with constant velocity.

objects move with constant velocity.



The velocity of an object is proportional to

The velocity of an object is proportional to

the magnitude of the applied force.

the magnitude of the applied force.



In the absence of a force, objects are either

In the absence of a force, objects are either

at rest or, if moving, are slowing down.

at rest or, if moving, are slowing down.



Heavier objects fall faster.

Heavier objects fall faster.



If an object is at rest, it cannot be

If an object is at rest, it cannot be

accelerating.

accelerating.

Definitions

Definitions



Alternative conceptions - alternative ways

Alternative conceptions - alternative ways

of understanding or explaining natural

of understanding or explaining natural

phenomena.

phenomena.



Preconceptions - with the nuance that these

Preconceptions - with the nuance that these

existed previous to a student coming to class.

existed previous to a student coming to class.



Misconceptions - with the nuance that these are

Misconceptions - with the nuance that these are

developed in class.

developed in class.



Quasiconceptions - with the nuance that these

Quasiconceptions - with the nuance that these

are correct under certain conditions.

are correct under certain conditions.

Classifications

Classifications



Under the influence of constant force, objects

Under the influence of constant force, objects

move with constant velocity.

move with constant velocity.



The velocity of an object is proportional to the

The velocity of an object is proportional to the

magnitude of the applied force.

magnitude of the applied force.



In the absence of a force, objects are either at

In the absence of a force, objects are either at

rest or, if moving, are slowing down.

rest or, if moving, are slowing down.



Heavier objects fall faster.

Heavier objects fall faster.



If an object is at rest, it cannot be

If an object is at rest, it cannot be

accelerating.

accelerating.

Research-based Claims

Research-based Claims



Eight research-based claims on a

Eight research-based claims on a

review of 2,600 published articles

review of 2,600 published articles



Based on the work of Wandersee,

Based on the work of Wandersee,

Mintzes, & Novak “Research on

Mintzes, & Novak “Research on

Alternative Conceptions in Science,”

Alternative Conceptions in Science,”

published in the 1994 edition of

published in the 1994 edition of

Handbook of Research on Science

Handbook of Research on Science

Teaching and Learning,

Teaching and Learning,

 D. Gabel, ed.

 D. Gabel, ed.

Research-based Claim 1

Research-based Claim 1

   Learners come to formal science

   Learners come to formal science

instruction with a diverse set of

instruction with a diverse set of

alternative conceptions concerning

alternative conceptions concerning

natural objects and events.

natural objects and events.



Physics

Physics



Chemistry

Chemistry



Biology

Biology



Earth Science

Earth Science

Research-based Claim 2

Research-based Claim 2

  The alternative conceptions that

  The alternative conceptions that

learners bring to formal science

learners bring to formal science

instruction cut across age, ability,

instruction cut across age, ability,

gender, and cultural boundaries.

gender, and cultural boundaries.

Research-based Claim 3

Research-based Claim 3

   Alternative conceptions are

   Alternative conceptions are

tenacious and resistant to

tenacious and resistant to

extinction by conventional teaching

extinction by conventional teaching

strategies.

strategies.

Research-based Claim 4

Research-based Claim 4

   Alternative conceptions often

   Alternative conceptions often

parallel explanations of natural

parallel explanations of natural

phenomena offered by previous

phenomena offered by previous

generations of scientists and

generations of scientists and

philosophers.

philosophers.

Research-based Claim 5

Research-based Claim 5

   Alternative conceptions have their

   Alternative conceptions have their

origins in a diverse set of personal

origins in a diverse set of personal

experiences including direct

experiences including direct

observation and perception, peer

observation and perception, peer

culture, and language, as well as in

culture, and language, as well as in

teachers’ explanations and

teachers’ explanations and

instructional materials.

instructional materials.

Research-based Claim 6

Research-based Claim 6

   Teachers often subscribe to the

   Teachers often subscribe to the

same alternative conceptions as

same alternative conceptions as

their students.

their students.

Research-based Claim 7

Research-based Claim 7

   Learners’ prior knowledge interacts

   Learners’ prior knowledge interacts

with knowledge presented in formal

with knowledge presented in formal

instruction, resulting in a diverse

instruction, resulting in a diverse

set of unintended learning

set of unintended learning

outcomes.

outcomes.



the alcoholic and the prohibitionist

the alcoholic and the prohibitionist



the boy who called wolf

the boy who called wolf

Research-based Claim 8

Research-based Claim 8

   Instructional approaches that

   Instructional approaches that

facilitate conceptual change can be

facilitate conceptual change can be

effective classroom tools

effective classroom tools



cooperative learning

cooperative learning



inquiry

inquiry



discovery

discovery



discrepant events

discrepant events



Concept change occurs when alternative

Concept change occurs when alternative

conceptions are directly addressed - not

conceptions are directly addressed - not

merely papered over.

merely papered over.



Only by properly addressing alternative

Only by properly addressing alternative

conceptions can physics teachers hope to

conceptions can physics teachers hope to

make any lasting change in conceptual

make any lasting change in conceptual

understanding of students.

understanding of students.

Traditional Approach

Traditional Approach



Three steps: Elicit-Confront-Resolve

Three steps: Elicit-Confront-Resolve



This approach is inadequate to producing

This approach is inadequate to producing

required concept change as evidenced by

required concept change as evidenced by

FCI scores on new versus experienced

FCI scores on new versus experienced

Modelers 

Modelers 

hypothetically

hypothetically

 due to the fact

 due to the fact

that it does not take into account what

that it does not take into account what

we have learned about the learner’s

we have learned about the learner’s

brain thru cognitive psychology.

brain thru cognitive psychology.

Modified Approach to Working

Modified Approach to Working

with Alternative Conceptions

with Alternative Conceptions



Elicit

Elicit



Confront

Confront



Resolve

Resolve



Reinforce new learning

Reinforce new learning

Before one can elicit, one must

Before one can elicit, one must

know alternative conceptions

know alternative conceptions



Handbook for Research on Science

Handbook for Research on Science

Teaching and Learning

Teaching and Learning



Operation Physics Handbook

Operation Physics Handbook



Physics begins with an M

Physics begins with an M



Physics begins with another M

Physics begins with another M



Children’s Ideas in Science

Children’s Ideas in Science



C

C

3

3

P

P

http://phys.udallas.edu/altconcp.html

http://phys.udallas.edu/altconcp.html

Elicit Alternative Conceptions

Elicit Alternative Conceptions



Recognize that alternate conceptions

Recognize that alternate conceptions

exist.

exist.



Probe for students’ alternative

Probe for students’ alternative

conceptions through demonstrations,

conceptions through demonstrations,

questions, and whiteboarding.

questions, and whiteboarding.



Ask students to clarify their

Ask students to clarify their

statements.

statements.

Confront Alternative Conceptions

Confront Alternative Conceptions



Identify an alternative conception as such

Identify an alternative conception as such

and explain its power to mislead.

and explain its power to mislead.



Provide contradictions to students'

Provide contradictions to students'

alternative conceptions through questions,

alternative conceptions through questions,

implications, and demonstrations.

implications, and demonstrations.



Encourage discussion, urging students to

Encourage discussion, urging students to

apply physical concepts in reasoning.

apply physical concepts in reasoning.



Ask about possible source(s) of alternative

Ask about possible source(s) of alternative

conception(s).

conception(s).

Resolve Alternative Conceptions

Resolve Alternative Conceptions



Foster replacement of alternative

Foster replacement of alternative

conception with: questions, thought

conception with: questions, thought

experiments, demonstrations, hypothetical

experiments, demonstrations, hypothetical

situations, and experiments designed to

situations, and experiments designed to

test hypotheses.

test hypotheses.



State that students must not be misled and

State that students must not be misled and

they should divorce themselves from the

they should divorce themselves from the

alternative conception.

alternative conception.

Reinforce New Learning

Reinforce New Learning



When one develops new understanding, one

When one develops new understanding, one

does not extinguish prior learning.

does not extinguish prior learning.



There are now two competing concepts in

There are now two competing concepts in

one’s mind.

one’s mind.



To address alt. conceptions effectively,

To address alt. conceptions effectively,

teachers must reinforce the pathway that

teachers must reinforce the pathway that

leads to the correct understanding.

leads to the correct understanding.



Periodically re-evaluate students'

Periodically re-evaluate students'

understanding by posing questions.

understanding by posing questions.