Elementary Teachers’ Understanding of Students’ Science Misconceptions: Implications for Practice and Teacher Education

Journal of Science Teacher Education volume 19, pages437–454(2008)Cite this article

Abstract

This study sought to determine what elementary teachers know about student science misconceptions and how teachers address student misconceptions in instruction. The sample included 30 teachers from California with at least 1-year of experience teaching grades 3, 4, and 5. A semistructured interview was used. The interview transcripts were transcribed and coded under the following categories: definition of misconceptions, sources of misconceptions, development of misconceptions, and teaching strategies for addressing misconceptions. The results suggest that, although most of the teachers are aware of misconceptions, they do not understand how they develop or fully appreciate their impact on their instruction.

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Affiliations

  1. Science Education, California State University, Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach, CA, 90840, USA

    Susan Gomez-Zwiep

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  1. Susan Gomez-Zwiep
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Correspondence to Susan Gomez-Zwiep.

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Gomez-Zwiep, S. Elementary Teachers’ Understanding of Students’ Science Misconceptions: Implications for Practice and Teacher Education. J Sci Teacher Educ 19, 437–454 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10972-008-9102-y

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Keywords

  • Inservice teacher education
  • Science education
  • Concept formation
  • Teaching methods
  • Preservice teacher education
  • Misconceptions