What do you know about the term misconception? As a science teacher how will you improve misconceptions of the science concepts?
Misconception A misconception is a conclusion that's wrong because it's based on faulty thinking or facts that
are wrong. Your accusation about your brother's role in that unfortunate event at your party may be based on a
misconception. First appearing in the 1660s, the noun misconception comes from the prefix mis-, meaning "bad, wrong,"
and the word conception, meaning "act of conceiving." A misconception usually results from incorrect thinking or a
flawed understanding. Because they don't know the facts, many people have a misconception about how diseases such as
AIDS are transmitted. It's a common misconception that Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, when, in fact, he didn't.
As a science teacher how will you improve misconceptions of the science concepts?
MISCONCEPTION: Students will automatically learn the nature and process of science by doing hands-on science or
authentic, inquiry-oriented investigations.
CORRECTION: Research shows that students do not automatically make connections between their science activities
and what scientists actually do. Furthermore, students will use their existing misconceptions to interpret class activities.
For example, students may do a flexible, inquiry-based lab and then argue that they were following the scientific method,
even when they did not and were actually engaged in a more flexible, non-linear process. In order for students to make
these key connections correctly, teachers must explicitly draw students' attention to aspects of nature and process of
science that their activities demonstrate, making these clear, cognitive objectives for the lesson and assessing these
outcomes along with basic science content. For more on basic research into teaching and learning about the nature and
process of science, visit our introduction to some of the research literature.
MISCONCEPTION: The nature and process of science can't be taught unless the teacher uses an inquiry-based
instruction method.
CORRECTION: The nature of science can be taught in a variety of ways, including: short, puzzle-solving activities that
can start a lesson or end a class, historical episodes to enhance content area reading, homework assignments, class
discussions, cartoons, analysis of scientists' notebooks and publications, and of course, inquiry labs and activities.
Whatever the nature of the lesson, teachers must explicitly draw students' attention to aspects of nature and process of
science that their activities demonstrate in order for students to make these connections.
MISCONCEPTION: The nature and process of science can be taught in a single unit at the beginning of the year.
CORRECTION: Concepts regarding the nature and process of science need to be introduced and revisited throughout
the school year in multiple contexts (e.g. laboratory activities, examples of historical and contemporary scientists, etc.).
Some of these concepts are complex and nuanced, and students need many opportunities to see them at work. Students
are far less likely to understand the nature and process of science if these concepts remain isolated from basic science
content.
Misconception A misconception is a conclusion that's wrong because it's based on faulty thinking or facts that
are wrong. Your accusation about your brother's role in that unfortunate event at your party may be based on a
misconception. First appearing in the 1660s, the noun misconception comes from the prefix mis-, meaning "bad, wrong,"
and the word conception, meaning "act of conceiving." A misconception usually results from incorrect thinking or a
flawed understanding. Because they don't know the facts, many people have a misconception about how diseases such as
AIDS are transmitted. It's a common misconception that Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, when, in fact, he didn't.
As a science teacher how will you improve misconceptions of the science concepts?
MISCONCEPTION: Students will automatically learn the nature and process of science by doing hands-on science or
authentic, inquiry-oriented investigations.
CORRECTION: Research shows that students do not automatically make connections between their science activities
and what scientists actually do. Furthermore, students will use their existing misconceptions to interpret class activities.
For example, students may do a flexible, inquiry-based lab and then argue that they were following the scientific method,
even when they did not and were actually engaged in a more flexible, non-linear process. In order for students to make
these key connections correctly, teachers must explicitly draw students' attention to aspects of nature and process of
science that their activities demonstrate, making these clear, cognitive objectives for the lesson and assessing these
outcomes along with basic science content. For more on basic research into teaching and learning about the nature and
process of science, visit our introduction to some of the research literature.
MISCONCEPTION: The nature and process of science can't be taught unless the teacher uses an inquiry-based
instruction method.
CORRECTION: The nature of science can be taught in a variety of ways, including: short, puzzle-solving activities that
can start a lesson or end a class, historical episodes to enhance content area reading, homework assignments, class
discussions, cartoons, analysis of scientists' notebooks and publications, and of course, inquiry labs and activities.
Whatever the nature of the lesson, teachers must explicitly draw students' attention to aspects of nature and process of
science that their activities demonstrate in order for students to make these connections.
MISCONCEPTION: The nature and process of science can be taught in a single unit at the beginning of the year.
CORRECTION: Concepts regarding the nature and process of science need to be introduced and revisited throughout
the school year in multiple contexts (e.g. laboratory activities, examples of historical and contemporary scientists, etc.).
Some of these concepts are complex and nuanced, and students need many opportunities to see them at work. Students
are far less likely to understand the nature and process of science if these concepts remain isolated from basic science
content.
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