Refutation Texts: A New Approach to Changing Public Misconceptions About Education Policy

Abstract

Individuals often have misconceptions about education policy issues. Prior research has shown that refutation texts can address misconceptions in other areas (e.g., climate change, GMOs); this study is the first to explore whether participants’ views on controversial education policies—the Common Core State Standards and charter schools—are similarly malleable through refutation text interventions. Results of two experiments show that refutation texts reduced participants’ misconceptions and increased their correct conceptions about both policy issues. These impacts persisted for at least a week in both cases. Our findings hold promise for policymakers, implementers, and researchers seeking to buttress support for policies through direct, evidence-based refutation texts.