Misconceptions

There are many different reasons why students have many different reasons why they do the things that they do. Some of the misconceptions that the students have are formed outside of the c... See More

There are many different reasons why students have many different reasons why they do the things that they do. Some of the misconceptions that the students have are formed outside of the classroom. The misconceptions deals with the personal experience in their lives. It is important that I listen to my students when there is a class discussion. I also need to pay close attention to what they say, draw, and write. It is a good idea to use the internet for a resource to get ideas before starting new units to see if there are any misconceptions about what I am going to teach. I need to plan activities that will allow the students to communicate with their peers and let them interact with hands on activities. The hands on activities can help to activate their prior knowledge and build on to their daily learning. Students who participate and communicate their ideas can change what and how they use their conceptual skills. A few misconceptions related to my PBL unit on the state of matter are: 1.. Students may think condensations is when air turns into a liquid instead of thinking condensation is water vapor in the air that cools enough to become a liquid. 2. Students may think that steam is not air instead of thinking that steam is water vapor. 3. Students may think that ice molecules are colder that water molecules instead of thinking that ice molecules have less kinetic energy than water molecules. 4. Students may think that water is an open container, the container is absorbed by the container, disappears, changes into air, or dries up and goes into the air instead of thinking that water is an open container, it evaporates, changing from a liquid to a gas.

Overcoming Misconceptions

The authors point to a study that attributes some student misconceptions to trade books that often have incorrect information for elementary students. They also point to assessment probes s... See More

The authors point to a study that attributes some student misconceptions to trade books that often have incorrect information for elementary students. They also point to assessment probes such as the ones developed by Page Keeley as a way to determine if and what students believe. The authors conclude that effective techniques to address student misconceptions requires students to ‘actively participate in science by doing, thinking and communicating ‘.