Conceptual Change Model
Strategy Summary
For educators, ensuring that students interpret and conceptualize information correctly is a key challenge. If information is presented incorrectly, or if students’ understandings of a concept are not addressed, students may form misconceptions. In helping students to learn, it is important to remember that their misunderstandings can actively impede their learning of new ideas (Posner et al., 1982). Therefore, it should be a goal of educators to confront these misunderstandings and re-educate students to “work toward conceptual change” (Gooding & Metz, 2011). Teachers can strategically approach this re-education through the Conceptual Change Model (CCM).
So then, what is conceptual change? Theorists and educational researchers (Chi et al., 1994; Dial et al., 2009; Ebert & Crippen, 2010; McLeod, 2015; Viennot, 1979; Vosniadou et al., 2011) recognize that humans use frameworks in their brains to organize the information they know about the world. When we learn, we add new pieces of information to our existing mental frameworks. When this new information conflicts with our deeper understanding, we must engage in “conceptual change” to shift our frameworks of understanding (Hewson, 1992; Posner et al., 1982). In education, CCM is a model that explicitly sets out to help students shift their frameworks of understanding.
In practice, this model includes:
Challenges in doing so effectively include:
So then, what is conceptual change? Theorists and educational researchers (Chi et al., 1994; Dial et al., 2009; Ebert & Crippen, 2010; McLeod, 2015; Viennot, 1979; Vosniadou et al., 2011) recognize that humans use frameworks in their brains to organize the information they know about the world. When we learn, we add new pieces of information to our existing mental frameworks. When this new information conflicts with our deeper understanding, we must engage in “conceptual change” to shift our frameworks of understanding (Hewson, 1992; Posner et al., 1982). In education, CCM is a model that explicitly sets out to help students shift their frameworks of understanding.
In practice, this model includes:
- Systematically uncovering and addressing student misconceptions
- Providing opportunity for students to confront and evaluate new knowledge
- Facilitating students’ conceptual framework shifting
- Providing opportunity for students to expand upon and apply their new knowledge in novel settings
Challenges in doing so effectively include:
- Honoring students’ previous knowledge (Zhou, 2012)
- Working to uncover each individual’s - potentially hidden - misconceptions takes time and effort
- Conceptual paradigms might be deeply and personally rooted in student life experience, so shifting these paradigms might disturb or upset students’ understanding of the world in deeply personal and emotional ways
- Humbly recognizing the assumptions educators make about “correct” information and “misinformation” (Zhou, 2012)
- Understanding that these terms are relative, subject to change, and potentially assumptive of cultural values and ways of knowing
- Generating student buy-in to the process of shifting conceptions of the world
- In implementing this instructional strategy, educators can work not only towards uncovering student misconceptions, but also towards shifting the learning paradigm in order to “provide students with opportunities for conceptual change” (Gooding & Metz, 2011)
Novel Synthesis: What Makes a Scientist a Scientist?
Related Learning Goals
References
Barman (1996). How Do Students Really View Science and Scientists?. Retrieved from http://castle.eiu.edu/~scienced/329options/crbscience.html
California Academy of Sciences. (n.d.). Draw a Scientist. Retrieved from https://www.calacademy.org/educators/lesson-plans/draw-a-scientist
Chi, M. T. H., Slotta, J. D., and de Leeuw, N. (1994). From Things to Process: A Theory of Conceptual Change for Learning Science Concepts. Learning and Instruction 4: 27-43.
Dial, K., Riddley, D., Williams, K., and Sampson, V. (2009). Addressing Misconceptions: a demonstration to help students understand the law of conservation of mass. The Science Teacher 76(7): 54-57.
Ebert, E. K., and Crippen, K. J. (2010). Applying a Cognitive-Affective Model of Conceptual Change to Professional Development. Journal of Science Teacher Education 21: 371–388.
Geoff. (2012). Conceptual Change - Unlearn to Relearn. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/jsgroff/conceptual-change-groff-14376146
Gooding, J., and Metz, B. (2011). From Misconceptions to Conceptual Change: Tips for identifying and overcoming students’ misconceptions. The Science Teacher 78(4): 34-37.
Hewson, Peter W., and N. Richard Thorley. (1989). "The conditions of conceptual change in the classroom." International Journal of Science Education 11.5: 541-553.
McLeod, S. A. (2015). Jean Piaget - Cognitive Theory. Retrieved from www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html
Posner, G. J., Strike, K. A., Hewson, P. W., & Gertzog, W. A. (1982). Accommodation of a scientific conception: Towards a theory of conceptual change. Science Education 66(2), 211-227.
Smithsonian Science Education. (2015). Good Thinking! - Conceptual Change: How New Ideas Take Root. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3a_4471DEU
Stepans, J. (2003). Targeting Students' Science Misconceptions: Physical Science Concepts Using the Conceptual Change Model. Riverview, FL: Idea Factory.
Vosniadou, S., Ioannides, C., Dimitrakopoulou, A., & Papademetriou, E. (2011). Designing learning environments to promote conceptual change in science. Learning and Instruction 11: 381–419.
Zhou, G. (2012). A Cultural Perspective of Conceptual Change: Re-examining the Goal of Science Education. McGill Journal of Education 47(1): 109-129.
California Academy of Sciences. (n.d.). Draw a Scientist. Retrieved from https://www.calacademy.org/educators/lesson-plans/draw-a-scientist
Chi, M. T. H., Slotta, J. D., and de Leeuw, N. (1994). From Things to Process: A Theory of Conceptual Change for Learning Science Concepts. Learning and Instruction 4: 27-43.
Dial, K., Riddley, D., Williams, K., and Sampson, V. (2009). Addressing Misconceptions: a demonstration to help students understand the law of conservation of mass. The Science Teacher 76(7): 54-57.
Ebert, E. K., and Crippen, K. J. (2010). Applying a Cognitive-Affective Model of Conceptual Change to Professional Development. Journal of Science Teacher Education 21: 371–388.
Geoff. (2012). Conceptual Change - Unlearn to Relearn. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/jsgroff/conceptual-change-groff-14376146
Gooding, J., and Metz, B. (2011). From Misconceptions to Conceptual Change: Tips for identifying and overcoming students’ misconceptions. The Science Teacher 78(4): 34-37.
Hewson, Peter W., and N. Richard Thorley. (1989). "The conditions of conceptual change in the classroom." International Journal of Science Education 11.5: 541-553.
McLeod, S. A. (2015). Jean Piaget - Cognitive Theory. Retrieved from www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html
Posner, G. J., Strike, K. A., Hewson, P. W., & Gertzog, W. A. (1982). Accommodation of a scientific conception: Towards a theory of conceptual change. Science Education 66(2), 211-227.
Smithsonian Science Education. (2015). Good Thinking! - Conceptual Change: How New Ideas Take Root. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3a_4471DEU
Stepans, J. (2003). Targeting Students' Science Misconceptions: Physical Science Concepts Using the Conceptual Change Model. Riverview, FL: Idea Factory.
Vosniadou, S., Ioannides, C., Dimitrakopoulou, A., & Papademetriou, E. (2011). Designing learning environments to promote conceptual change in science. Learning and Instruction 11: 381–419.
Zhou, G. (2012). A Cultural Perspective of Conceptual Change: Re-examining the Goal of Science Education. McGill Journal of Education 47(1): 109-129.