Alternative Conceptions and the Learning of Chemistry

One of Keith's publications is:

Taber, K. S. (2019). Alternative Conceptions and the Learning of Chemistry. Israel Journal of Chemistry, 59(6-7), 450-469. doi:10.1002/ijch.201800046

This was published in the journal's special issue on chemistry education

Abstract:

A great deal of research has indicated that teaching is rarely a matter of introducing learners to material that simply replaces previous ignorance, but is more often a matter of presenting ideas that are somewhat at odds with existing understanding. In subjects such as chemistry, learners at school and university come to their studies already holding misconceptions or ‘alternative conceptions’ of subject matter. This has implications for subsequent learning, and so for teaching. This article reviews a number of key issues: (i), the origins of these alternative conceptions; (ii), the nature of these ideas; and, (iii), how they influence learning of the chemistry curriculum. These issues are in turn significant for guidance on (a) how curriculum should be selected and sequenced, and (b) on the pedagogy likely to be most effective in teaching chemistry. A specific concern reported in chemistry education is that one source of alternative conceptions seems to be instruction itself.

Keywords:

• Learning chemistry
• Teaching chemistry
• Conceptual understanding
• Conceptual change
• Constructivist pedagogy

Review structure:

• Introduction
• Examples of Learners’ Alternative Conceptions in Chemistry
  • Some Examples of Common Alternative Conceptions in Chemistry
  • An Alternative Conceptual Framework: the Octet Framework
• The Nature of Alternative Conceptions
  • Conceptions Vary in their Match to Canonical Knowledge
  • Degree of Commitment to a Conception
  • The Presence of Manifold Conceptions
  • Degree of Integration of Conceptions
  • Tacit Knowledge Elements
  • Degree of Commonality of Alternative Conceptions
  • Conceptual Change
• Acquiring Personal Conceptions
  • The Acquisition of Implicit Knowledge
  • Cultural Facilitation of Learning
  • Sources of Alternative Conceptions
• Implications of Alternative Conceptions for Learning
  • The Challenge of Class Teaching
  • Working with Students’ Thinking
• Pedagogy that Takes into Account Alternative Conceptions
  • Diagnosing Student Thinking
  • Responding to Alternative Conceptions: Working for  Conceptual Change
  • Recruiting Productive Facets of Student Thinking
  • Explicitly Teaching About Models
  • Teaching Informed by the History and Philosophy of Chemistry
• Summary and Outlook

A copy of the author's manuscript version of this paper is available here.

A high resolution pdf reprint is available from the author on request (but cannot be posted on the web for copyright reasons)