Research on Alternative Conceptions of Science Scott M. Graves, PhD Southern Connecticut State University

Emergent Knowledge Claims There are eight knowledge claims about alternative conceptions that researchers have focused on over the past 10 years.

Claim 1 Learners come to formal science instructions with a diverse set of alternative conceptions concerning natural objects and events.

Think of examples from:  Physics  Biology  Chemistry  Earth/Space science 

Claim 2 The alternative conceptions that learners bring to formal science instruction cut across age, ability, gender, and cultural boundaries.

Claim 3 Alternative conceptions are tenacious and resistant to extinction by conventional teaching strategies.

Claim 4 Alternative conceptions often parallel explanations of natural phenomena offered by previous generations of scientists and philosophers

Claim 5 Alternative conceptions have their origins in a diverse set of personal experiences including:  direct observation and perception,  peer culture and language,  teachers’ explanations,  instructional materials.

Claim 6 Teachers often subscribe to the same alternative conceptions as their students

Claim 7 Learners’ prior knowledge interacts with knowledge presented in formal instruction, resulting in a diverse set of unintended learning outcomes.

Claim 7  The undisturbed children’s science outcome  The reinforced outcome  The two perspective outcome  The mixed outcome  The unified scientific outcome

Claim 8 Instructional approaches that facilitate conceptual change can be effective classroom tools.

Claim 8 Hilda Taba developed a three stage, multi- purpose approach that provides an excellent occasional teaching option.  First, students make an exhaustive list of observations, ideas, or concepts.  Second, students gather all similar items together.  Third, the students name each category.

Claim 8  Students are then assigned to category groups and proceed to research their topic. A teacher's role is to facilitate acquisition of relevant information sources. The final product is a report, portfolio, video presentation, or open house project fair.

Claim 8 Bruner developed an activity that engages youngsters in formulating big picture concepts through the use of illustrations he calls exemplars. Exemplars may be "yes" (positive) or "no" (negative). Positive exemplars contain attributes of the concept to be taught. Both positive and negative exemplars are given at random to the class or as an individual activity.

The End Wandersee, J., Mintzes, J., Novak, J. (1994) Research on alternative conceptions of science. Handbook of research on science teaching. MacMillan NY. Graves, S.M. (1999) Alternative Conceptions in Science and Science Teaching. Exposing, Exploring and Remediation of Alternative Conceptions leads to Restructuring of Learner Theories and Conceptual Change. In a trusting learning environment (constructivist), remediation of alternative conceptions leads to increased learner efficacy in science and science teaching.