Students have four options when it comes to dealing with new learning: delete pre-existing knowledge, modify new knowledge to fit existing understanding, modify existing understanding to fit new learning (altering what is known), or reject new information (Sewel, p2). Heather’s misconceptions are the result of incomplete understanding and integrating unrelated ideas into her understanding. For example, she views a diagram of something unrelated to the seasons while learning about the seasons and integrates the wrong diagram into her understanding. While she states that she thinks she understands, not having the opportunity to explain her understanding and receive teacher feedback in a timely manner was a contributing factor to the error becoming a misconception. Heather’s misconceptions could have been more effectively dealt with if the teacher had performed a pre-assessment. In this way she would have known what her students currently understood. In addition, teachers must constantly assess for understanding through the lesson; asking whether or not students all “get it” is an ineffective method of determining what has been understood. While this video is a relatively dated classroom, current interventions including digital technologies might be to use an all-student response system like plickers or socrative to determine student understanding while the lesson was occurring, and addressing misconceptions before they become fossilized.
As a primary school teacher, science concepts are often misunderstood to be obvious concepts without consideration to the fact that the work done at this level is foundational. We take for granted that a child is able to count and understand the meaning of numbers, but an understanding of the importance of zero and not jumping to the conclusion that children understand numbers to one thousand because they are able to write numbers to one thousand. In my personal experience, this has been a teacher misunderstanding that leads to inadequate attention to number concepts. Because it appears a simple concept, teachers often do not recognize that it requires a cognitive leap for learners to use 0. Shapiro underlines the importance of students’ being actively involved in the curriculum in order to construct an understanding of it. As in the video, Heather does not begin to construct or question her understanding until she has the model in her hands and is able to begin manipulating it.
A significant factor in student learning is feedback related to the learner’s conceptions. It is essential to listen for a child’s conception related to the curricular topic rather than to listen for errors or to simply move the conversation toward the correct answer. In order to counter misconceptions, we must understand where students are are and provide not only day-to-day feedback but also minute-to-minute feedback.
Cobb, P. (1994). Where is the mind? Constructivist and sociocultural perspectives on mathematical development. Educational researcher 23, no. 7: 13-20.
Mohyuddin, R., Rana, M, & Usman K. (2016). Bulletin of education and research: Misconceptions of students in learning mathematics at primary level Panjab University Press.
Sewell, A. (2002). Australian science teachers’ journal: Constructivism and student misconceptions: Why every teacher needs to know about them Australian Science Teachers’ Association.
Shaprio, B. (1988). Development and Dilemmas in Science Education. What Children Bring to Light: Toward Understanding What the Primary School Learner is Trying to Do. 96-120