Describes a constructivist approach to teaching about the phases of the moon. Addresses student misconceptions and encourages students to focus on the causes of the phases of the moon. (JRH)

Reports on discussions with a year 10-group, following their first lesson on heat energy transfer, that revealed they still had not realized that insulation acted as a barrier; instead they saw it as an active warming agent. Describes a teaching method based on a woollen hat that challenges their naive ideas. (Author/JRH)

Examines students' misconceptions and proposed mechanisms related to current flow in electrolyte solutions and the salt bridge. Confirms reported misconceptions and identifies several new ones. Discusses probable sources of misconceptions and some methods for preventing them. Contains 27 references. (JRH)

Focuses on the importance of building from mistakes in mathematics instruction to develop better reasoning and problem-solving abilities. (Contains 11 references.) (YDS)

Argues that instructional techniques consistent with constructivist epistemology are not the only means by which students construct meaning. Suggests that the choice of instructional strategies should be based on the nature of the content, students' needs, and teacher objectives. (Contains 23 references.) (SK)

Unexpected results in an investigation using Information and Communications Technology (ICT) provide valuable learning opportunities. (Author/MM)

Suggests that the imposition of order on history perpetuates a historian/history teacher dichotomy. Illustrates prevailing fallacies in the teaching of history: (1) the moniker fallacy; (2) the one-school fallacy; (3) the contextual fallacy; and (4) the wave fallacy. States that an avoidance of these fallacies will at least partially reconcile…

Debunks various myths and misperceptions concerning developmentally appropriate practices. Developmental appropriateness is a philosophy, not a curriculum. Despite using alternative learning strategies such as guided play, teachers are in control, facilitate real academic learning, and build on what they already know. DAP is universal and can…

Discusses students' preconceptions of randomness and offers an alternative way to think about the concept using the idea of complexity. That is, the randomness of a sequence can be measured by the difficulty of encoding it. Methods of judging complexity and implications for teaching are discussed. (Contains 30 references.) (MKR)

Considers teaching strategies to help children overcome misconceptions and difficulties with the mathematical concept of angles. (ASK)

Introduces the Workshop Biology Project which is based on conceptual change by confronting students' conceptions and inquiry based science context. (Contains 24 references.) (Author/YDS)

Discusses issues regarding evolution instruction in public schools and focuses on misconceptions such as the use of the word "belief", lack of evidence for theories of evolution, and the belief that teaching evolution as fact is proselytizing students. Presents teaching approaches to the topic of evolution. (Contains 33 references.) (YDS)

Many secondary students hold misconceptions about evolution, even after instruction, that are often inconsistent with what is accepted by evolutionary biologists. Understanding evolution is difficult due to major conceptual difficulties concerning variation, differential survival, adaptation, and natural selection. In this article, the author…

Using primary sources in history classes is all the rage. But if teachers are not reflective about the best use of such materials, they may engage students in exercises that are neither historically nor instructionally sound. In this article, the author points out common misconceptions about primary sources and suggests ways to maximize their…

This article introduces Model-Eliciting Activities (MEAs) as a form of case study team problem-solving. MEA design focuses on eliciting from students conceptual models that they iteratively revise in problem-solving. Though developed by mathematics education researchers to study the evolution of mathematical problem-solving expertise in middle…