1 A General Overview of Conceptual Change Research

“If [student’s] intuitions and misconceptions are ignored or dismissed out of hand, their original beliefs are likely to win out in the long run, even though they may give the test answers their teachers want. ” --R. A. Hodzi “The student is not a tabula rasa (blank slate). ” --Edward. F. Redish (and many others) 1. Misconceptions about Conceptual Change It is important to understand that those who are involved in the conceptual change research domain are concerned about much more than simply altering a particular belief. If this were not the case, then it could be argued that conceptual change occurs every time someone changes his or her mind, or learns something new about a certain issue or fact. Let’s say that I am walking across campus and I notice that clouds are moving overhead. It is not raining as I enter Wood Hall to go to my office. When I arrive at my office, Ozcan is there. He asks, “Is it raining outside? ” I declare with bold confidence, “Not one drop of water is falling from the sky! It is completely dry! ” Unbeknownst to me, however, storm clouds have begun to move over the campus even as I am speaking