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Children's alternative frameworks: Should they be directly‐addressed in science instruction?
Author(s) -
Muthukrishithi,
Carnine Doug,
Grossen Bonnie,
Miller Sam
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
journal of research in science teaching
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.067
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1098-2736
pISSN - 0022-4308
DOI - 10.1002/tea.3660300303
Subject(s) - conceptual change , mathematics education , science education , curriculum , conceptual framework , concept learning , psychology , pedagogy , computer science , sociology , social science
A study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of in‐depth, conceptually integrated instruction delivered via a videodisc program in eliminating children's alternative frameworks in science. Prior to instruction, pupils in two eighth‐grade science classes, one of higher ability and one of lower ability, were interviewed to document their alternative frameworks (informal knowledge) for explaining two science phenomena. Interviews after instruction showed that students of both ability groups did not retain their alternative frameworks. This contradicts other research findings that children's alternative frameworks are extremely resistant to change and must be directly addressed during instruction for conceptual change to occur. A well‐designed science curriculum that was intelligible, plausible, and fruitful, but did not directly address alternative frameworks during instruction, changed 92% of the alternative frameworks held by students to scientific understandings.