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Clearing up Student Misconceptions
Clearing up Student Misconceptions
I was learning right alongside the students when I had the chance to visit Mr. Hoppel's classroom. Although I vaguely remember learning about the seasons and even addressing misunderstandings in my Science College classes, I realized (and maybe this is embarrassing and should not actually be shared) I clearly still had some misunderstandings when it came to the actual scientific explanation for the seasons. Thank goodness I just happened to be available on this specific lesson to relearn this concept in Mr. Hoppel's class.
As Lucariello and Naff (2019) point out in their research, we are teaching students new concepts who already have some pre-instruction on the topic. Sometimes students have already formed ideas in their mind on this topic even if it is incomplete, misinformed, or illogical. It is simply a part of a student's learning process. Students especially have misconceptions when it comes to ideas that are complex or abstract and generally have no idea that these understandings are wrong, impeding future learning. It is important for teachers to address these misconceptions by first addressing misconceptions and then, correcting the misconceptions. Mr. Hoppel's lesson was a perfect example on how to address student misconceptions and he used multiple strategies to help his students clear up these misunderstandings.
Shadows.movMr. Hoppel began his lesson with a review on the previous lesson. This discussion led into today's lesson on the relationship between earth and the sun. While discussing their connections, Mr. Hoppel used scale models. Using visuals, especially models, helps students "construct new representations that vary from their intuitive theories," (Lucariello & Naff, 2019). After he modeled these concepts, he had students take notes, where he asked students to use specific language to avoid further misconceptions. This goes along with #11 of Lucariello and Naff's (2019) list of DO'S in their article:
Help students "self-repair" their misconceptions. If students engage in a process called "self-explanation," then conceptual change is more likely (Chi, 2000). Self-explanation entails prompting students to explain text aloud as they read.
Help students "self-repair" their misconceptions. If students engage in a process called "self-explanation," then conceptual change is more likely (Chi, 2000). Self-explanation entails prompting students to explain text aloud as they read.
Finally, in hopes that students now understood their misconceptions and could explain their understanding of the relationship between earth and the sun, he had them practice addressing 3 examples of common misconceptions. Lucariello and Naff (2019) address this in step 12, "Once students have overcome their alternative conceptions (misconceptions), engage them in argument to strengthen their newly acquired correct knowledge (representations)."
Walking in to Mr. Hoppel's lesson made me realize how I may be missing this step entirely when teaching students new concepts in my English and Reading classes. How often do I predict and plan for misconceptions my students may have? How can I assess my students pre-understanding of a new topic? In Lucariello and Naff's (2019) article, I realized that misconceptions are not all bad, in fact, they can be used to help deepen understanding of new concepts. This concept has really made me think about how I should introduce new topics and even new units.
"When students come into a class with an initial impression of the curriculum, even if it is inaccurate, it could be evidence of previous content coverage or a tool for priming student thinking. Though it may seem that misconceptions are only a barrier to learning, when used properly they could serve a productive purpose in the classroom," (Larkin, 2012 as stated in Lucariello and Naff (2019).
"When students come into a class with an initial impression of the curriculum, even if it is inaccurate, it could be evidence of previous content coverage or a tool for priming student thinking. Though it may seem that misconceptions are only a barrier to learning, when used properly they could serve a productive purpose in the classroom," (Larkin, 2012 as stated in Lucariello and Naff (2019).
Thanks, Mr. Hoppel for letting me visit! Check out these articles below for more information on addressing student misconceptions.
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