On Learning and Teaching for Conceptual Change

Abstract

Abstract Many people have conceptions about the natural or anthropogenic world that may be inconsistent with domain knowledge. These lay conceptions, often called misconceptions, may be robust to change, thus requiring special considerations for learning and teaching (i.e., requiring conceptual change). In this article, the authors highlight the nature of concepts and learning via conceptual change as theorized and empirically studied over the last several decades. The authors also feature four popular and/or promising instructional modes for facilitating conceptual change, including scaffolded approaches to cognitive dissonance, refutation, argumentation, and modeling, which hold promise in promoting deeper understanding of our world and society.