the significance of misconceptions for learning and teaching

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MISCONCEPTIONS FOR MISCONCEPTIONS FOR LEARNING AND TEACHINGLEARNING AND TEACHING

Joel Michael

Department of Molecular Biophysics & Physiology

Rush Medical College

Chicago, Illinois

And

Physiology Educational Research Consortium

Indiana University

Acknowledgements:Acknowledgements:

Indiana University


Harold Modell and Mary Pat Wenderoth

Indiana University



My colleagues in PERC

Indiana University



My colleagues in PERCThe National Science Foundation

Indiana University

My agenda this morningMy agenda this morning

Indiana University


What are misconceptions?

Indiana University


What are misconceptions?Where do misconceptions come

from?

Indiana University



from?How do misconceptions affect the

learner?

Indiana University



from?How do misconceptions affect the

learner?How should misconceptions affect

the teacher?

Indiana University

Are misconceptions a “science Are misconceptions a “science thing?”thing?”

Indiana University


Misconceptions have been extensively studied in science.

Indiana University



It is possible that they were studied in science first.

Indiana University



It is possible that they were studied in science first.

But, misconceptions exist in whatever discipline someone has looked.

Indiana University

What are misconceptions?What are misconceptions?

Indiana University


Mental models that differ in significant ways from the models you expect your students to develop

Indiana University

What is a “mental model?”What is a “mental model?”

Indiana University

What is a “mental model?”What is a “mental model?”

The representation of knowledge and skills in the mind of the individual

Indiana University

Mental models (continued)Mental models (continued)

Blood pressure

Cardiacoutput

(the heart)

Totalperipheralresistance

(the circulation)

Cardiovascularcontroler(the brain)

Indiana University



Indiana University



Conceptual and/or reasoning difficulties exhibited by your students

Indiana University

A CaveatA Caveat

Indiana University

A CaveatA Caveat

“Misconception” is a convenient, generally understood, label for a complex phenomenon.

Indiana University

A CaveatA Caveat

“Misconception” is a convenient, generally understood, label for a complex phenomenon.

No assumptions about student (teacher) epistomology or possible origins are implied by my use of the term.

Indiana University

What’s the big deal?What’s the big deal?

Indiana University

Where do misconceptions come Where do misconceptions come from?from?

Indiana University

Where do misconceptions come Where do misconceptions come from?from?Personal experience in the worldExperiences in “school”Informal learningLanguage usage

Indiana University

Where do misconceptions come Where do misconceptions come from?from?Personal experience in the world

Indiana University

Where do misconceptions come Where do misconceptions come from?from?Personal experience in the world (#1)–When you exercise, your breathing

frequency (the number of breaths/min) increases. What happens to the amount of air you take in with each breath? Does it:• A. Increase• B. Decrease• C. Stay the same

Indiana University

During exercise . . . During exercise . . .

Breathing frequency increases The amount of air you take in INCREASES 40-50% of students get this wrong (as do

40-50% of my professional colleagues) This reflects a common misconception (or

conceptual difficulty)

Indiana University

Where do misconceptions come Where do misconceptions come from?from?Personal experience in the world (#1)– Although everyone has personal

experience with exercise, and in spite of the fact we can directly sense the changes in breathing that occur . . .

Indiana University

Where do misconceptions come Where do misconceptions come from?from?Personal experience in the world (#1)– Although everyone has personal

experience with exercise, and in spite of the fact we can directly sense the changes in breathing that occur . . .

– It appears that many people either mis-perceive what is happening or mis-interpret what is happening

Indiana University

Where do misconceptions come Where do misconceptions come from?from?Personal experience in the world (#1)– This results in a deeply ingrained

mental model about what MUST be happening when ventilation increases that can be very difficult for students to overcome

Indiana University

Where do misconceptions come Where do misconceptions come from?from?Personal experience in the world (#2)

Indiana University

Where do misconceptions come Where do misconceptions come from?from?Personal experience in the world (#2)– Students learning Newton’s Laws may

be able to solve quite complex quantitative problems about the motion of objects in space

Indiana University

Where do misconceptions come Where do misconceptions come from?from? Personal experience in the world (#2)– Students learning Newton’s Laws may be able

to solve quite complex quantitative problems about the motion of objects in space

– Nevertheless, it has been demonstrated repeatedly by educational researchers that students may not understand the concepts represented by Newton’s Laws

Indiana University

Where do misconceptions come Where do misconceptions come from?from?Personal experience in the world (#2)– The world is NOT Newtonian (there are

no frictionless surfaces etc.) and the mental models that arise from our experience in the world are not, in general, Newtonian. Hence, we all have misconceptions about kinematics.

Indiana University


Indiana University

Where do misconceptions come Where do misconceptions come from?from?Experiences in “school”

Indiana University

Where do misconceptions come Where do misconceptions come from?from?Experiences in “school”– Textbook figures of molecules or ions in

solution typically look like this.

Indiana University

Indiana University

Where do misconceptions come Where do misconceptions come from?from?Experiences in “school”– Textbook figures of molecules or ions in

solution typically look like this.– The consequence is that students

develop misconceptions about diffusion and other phenomena that occur in solution.

Indiana University

Where do misconceptions come Where do misconceptions come from?from?Experience in school– Figures and diagrams

Indiana University

Where do misconceptions come Where do misconceptions come from?from?Experience in school– Figures and diagrams– Analogies and metaphors

Indiana University

Where do misconceptions come Where do misconceptions come from?from?Experience in school– Figures and diagrams– Analogies and metaphors• Very common in all science teaching

Indiana University


Indiana University

Where do misconceptions come Where do misconceptions come from?from?Informal learning

Indiana University

Where do misconceptions come Where do misconceptions come from?from?Informal learning– Locker room conversations (between

males and females) result in serious misconceptions about exercise, physical conditioning, how to build muscle mass or endurance etc.

Indiana University

Where do misconceptions come Where do misconceptions come from?from?Informal learning– Locker room conversations (between

males and females) result in serious misconceptions about exercise, physical conditioning, how to build muscle mass or endurance etc.

– Television, newspapers, magazines, the Internet

Indiana University


Indiana University

Where do misconceptions come Where do misconceptions come from?from?Language usage

Indiana University

Where do misconceptions come Where do misconceptions come from?from?Language usage–Which is more elastic:• A steel beam?• A rubber band?

Indiana University

Where do misconceptions come Where do misconceptions come from?from?Language usage– The term “elasticity” has one meaning

in lay conversation (“the stretchier the more elastic”) and an exactly opposite meaning in physics (“the greater the restoring force or recoil the great the elasticity”). As a consequence students working with the first definition develop serious misconceptions about respiratory mechanics.

Indiana University


Indiana University

Where do misconceptions come Where do misconceptions come from?from?Misconceptions interact with one

another (they do not exist in isolation)

Indiana University

Where do misconceptions come Where do misconceptions come from?from? Misconceptions interact with one another

(they do not exist in isolation) A misconception about one phenomenon

(molecules in solution) can cause students to develop a misconception about another phenomenon (propagation of the action potential in an axon).

Indiana University

How do they affect the learner?How do they affect the learner?

Indiana University


They will affect the students’ acquiring the “correct” mental model

Indiana University



They will affect the students’ conceptual understanding

Indiana University

Someone has said . . .Someone has said . . .

It ain’t what you know, it’s what you know that ain’t so that can cause a problem

Indiana University




Indiana University



They will affect the students’ conceptual understanding – Any one misconception may contribute

to the creation of a another, later misconception

Indiana University




They may affect the students’ ability to solve problems or apply their knowledge (in or out of class)

Indiana University


Being told that their model is wrong, or being told the correct model DOES NOT HELP MUCH!

Indiana University

How should they affect the How should they affect the teacher?teacher?

Indiana University

How should they affect the How should they affect the teacher?teacher?Teachers must understand that

misconceptions exist and that they have consequences for the learner

Indiana University

How should they affect the How should they affect the teacher?teacher?Teachers must understand that

misconceptions exist and that they have consequences for the learner

Teachers must make an effort to determine what “old” misconceptions are present and what “new” ones are being created

Indiana University

How should they affect the How should they affect the teacher? teacher? Teachers must help students correct

their misconceptions

Indiana University


their misconceptions– Simply telling students that their model

is wrong doesn’t help

Indiana University


their misconceptions– Simply telling students that their model

is wrong doesn’t help– Telling them the correct model doesn’t

necessarily help

Indiana University

How should they affect the How should they affect the teacher? teacher? To help students correct their

misconceptions you must provide opportunities for them to:

Indiana University


misconceptions you must provide opportunities for them to:– Test their model

Indiana University


misconceptions you must provide opportunities for them to:– Test their model– See for themselves that it fails to

generate correct “answers”

Indiana University


misconceptions you must provide opportunities for them to:– Test their model– See for themselves that it fails to

generate correct “answers”Then you can help them build a

correct model

Indiana University

NOTE that teachers were and still are learners. TEACHERS ARE LIKELY TO HAVE MISCONCEPTIONS IN NO WAY DIFFERENT THAN THOSE HELD BY THEIR STUDENTS!

Indiana University

What’s the take home message?What’s the take home message?

Indiana University

What’s the take home message?What’s the take home message?

The job of the teacher is to . . .

HELP THE LEARNER TO LEARN!

Indiana University

Then as teachers we need to . . . Then as teachers we need to . . .

Know what impediments to learning our students are grappling with

Indiana University

Then as teachers we need to . . . Then as teachers we need to . . .

Know what impediments to learning our students are grappling with

Provide our students with the resources (or learning environment) that will help them move beyond those impediments

Indiana University

This means creating an interACTIVE learning environment

Indiana University

TEACHER

STUDENT

STUDENT

STUDENT

"OBJECTS"OF

DISCIPLINE

Indiana University

TEACHER

student

student

student

Indiana University

TEACHER

STUDENT

STUDENT

STUDENT

"OBJECTS"OF

DISCIPLINE

Indiana University

In such an environment students can best challenge their own models and determine for themselves whether they work. Once they appreciate that their models fail under certain conditions they are more likely to build a correct model.

Indiana University

the significance of misconceptions for learning and teaching

Documents

significance of misconceptions

indiana universitywhats

science thing

developindiana universitywhat

harold modell

personal experience

significant ways

worldindiana universitywhere