From Misconceptions to Constructed Understanding • Page 1 From Misconceptions to Constructed Understanding The Fourth International Seminar on Misconceptions Research (1997) Article Title: Pairing and Compiling Discrepant Events to Help Generate Understan

Abstract: A central aspect to conceptual change strategies relies on introducing events which are discrepant to the students ’ existing conceptual framework. Discrepancies to existing theory however are dealt with by people in a variety of ways. Most frequently we reject, ignore, or explain away anomalies rather than alter our pre-existing models. This is crucial to meaningful learning since a person must accept the discrepancy’s validity as part of the restructuring process. In a classroom, a range of conceptual frameworks exists and by extension, there is a range of responses to any experimental or conceptual evidence presented to the students. This study looks at using a classroom of 25 grade 9 students (age 14) as they construct kinetic molecular theory (KMT). The general approach is identify pre-existing notions, at times group students accordingly, assign (or have students design) experiments to test their models, and to share a vast array of ideas and findings in order to come to some common ground. The common ground to all the events, discrepant or otherwise, is what we eventually call theory. Under traditional tests, students learning under these conditions perform no differentl