A topic in Learners' conceptions and thinking
What are alternative conceptions?
Conceptions are ways of thinking about things, ways if understanding some phenomenon or topic. Wherever there are multiple ways of conceiving the same phenomena or topic these different concepts could be considered as alternatives (to each other). However, most commonly, conceptions are referred to as alternative if they are judged to be deviant compared with canonical concepts.
Read about alternative conception
Read a (partial) list of science misconceptions
Are alternative conceptions common?
In the sense that it is common to find people have alternative conceptions, then yes. We probably all have conceptions about things that do not match the canonical versions. Maybe we have an idea what baroque architecture is, or who the romantic poets were, or what Descartes thought about the existence of God – but experts in those fields might feel our conceptions were at odds with the canonical accounts.
One of the major outcomes of much research in science education is the finding that learners, laypeople, and sometimes even teachers, often have alternative conceptions across a wide range of science topics.
In the sense that there are some alternative conceptions which seem to be very common (or strictly, that sometimes there seem to be very similar alternative conceptions across substantial number of people), again, yes. But there is also incredible variation amongst people, so there are also many less common, and even idiosyncratic, alternative conceptions.
Examples of widely shared alternative conceptions
In physics it is very common for people to have an alternative conception to the principle of inertia (Newton's first law) – to believe that motion naturally comes to a halt (and often also that circular motion takes place without any applied force).
Read about common alternative conceptions related to Newton's first law
Read about common alternative conceptions related to Newton's second law
Read about common alternative conceptions related to Newton's third law.
Read about conceptions of 'centrifugal force'
Read about conceptons of sucking and suction
In chemistry it is very common for students to think that chemical reactions occur so that atoms can obtain full outer shells / octets of electrons. This is a common alternative conception.
Read about 'The full outer shell explanatory principle'
There are a range of other related alternative conceptions (which collectively form a conceptual framework, the octet framework):
atoms/ions with octets/full outer shells are more stable than other atoms/ions
reactions take place between reactants that are composed of atoms
an electron belongs to a particular atom (that it will return to)
ionic bonds only form where an electron has been transferred between atoms
ionic substances are comprised of molecule-like pairs of ions
The book Student Thinking and Learning in Science: Perspectives on the Nature and Development of Learners' Ideas gives an account of the nature of learners' conceptions, and how they develop, and how teachers can teaching accordingly.
