Abstract concepts dominate university science teaching, and much of this content is taught without sufficient connection to students' prior knowledge or everyday experiences. As this can be problematic for students, the aim of this research was to determine the utility and effectiveness of a professional development module on using analogies to…

Educators have been challenged to identify threshold concepts and develop transformed students. This stands in stark contrast to many curriculum design and delivery models that currently view students as repositories of knowledge. In this article, we argue that educators can reach both goals, identify stumbling blocks and transforming students,…

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of node-link mapping on students' meaningful learning and conceptual change in a 1-semester introductory life-science course. This study used node-link mapping to integrate and apply the National Research Council's (NRC, 2005) three principles of human learning: engaging students' prior…

The concept of lifelong learning implies a cycle where the learner contributes prior learning into a new learning environment and sees that learning upgraded. In recent years, a range of internal and external pressures have encouraged Australian universities to identify the meta or generic skills embedded in tertiary study. Using a content…

Explores and documents the frequencies of conceptual difficulties confronted by college students (n=200) seeking to understand the basic processes of cellular respiration. Findings suggest that novices harbor a wide range of conceptual difficulties that constrain their understanding of cellular respiration and many of these conceptual problems…

Three qualities form the foundation of college-level learning: (1) conceptual knowledge--articulation of concepts, theories, and principles; (2) generalizable knowledge; and (3) courses traditionally taught in college--excluding secondary courses, noncredit programs, popular learning, and vocational courses. (SK)

An open-ended, written test was administered to 364 students divided into four groups according to their scientific learning background at a teachers college. Results indicate that although the science-major students performed better than nonscience majors, their understanding of condensation and boiling concepts still needed to be enhanced.…

Many students of chemistry demonstrate alternative conceptions about some fundamental aspects of chemistry. Suggests that research evidence provides strong support for this view. Contains 45 references. (DDR)

Reports the findings of a study that suggest that alternative ideas can form part of a progression toward a scientifically acceptable model. Argues that teaching may be inadvertently promoting alternative ideas as endpoints. Contains 38 references. (DDR)

This paper examines the nature of physics students' knowledge, the means to identify alternative conceptions, and possible methods to overcome misconceptions. This examination is a survey of the techniques and ideas of a large number of researchers who are seeking their own solutions to this problem. An examination of the nature of knowledge…

Because knowledge is constantly in flux, it is important for individuals to accurately incorporate new information into previously developed knowledge structures. Some of the issues surrounding this development of thought are explored in this paper. Although the phenomenon of knowledge integration is relatively common, very little empirical…

Uses an instrument designed to identify misconceptions in biology to reveal that novice biology teachers hold a number of conceptual errors which are also prevalent among secondary science students. Contains 44 references. (DDR)

Four experiments with college undergraduates examine interactions between linearly separable and nonlinearly separable abstract category structures, different knowledge types, and instructions on classification learning tasks. Implications for independent cue models and interactive cue models are discussed. (LMO)

Argues that, for a misconception to be abandoned, the learner must come to see it as unsatisfactory. The new conception must be intelligible, plausible, and fruitful. Suggests that students should have an active cognitive involvement in the process. Contains 16 references. (DDR)

The effects of examples used with application adjunct questions on concept learning were evaluated. Results indicated that application adjunct questions did not produce significantly higher performance on criterion questions than no-question treatments. Matched adjunct questions produced higher levels of performance on criterion than unmatched…