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Compatibility between cultural studies and conceptual change in science education: there is more to acknowledge than to fight straw men!

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Abstract

In this response, we attempt to clarify our position on conceptual change, state our position on mental models being a viable construct to represent learning, indicate important issues from the social cultural perspective that can inform our work on conceptual change and lastly comment on issues that we consider to be straw men. Above all we argue that there is no best theory of teaching and learning and argue for a multiple perspective approach to understanding science teaching and learning.

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Notes

  1. Personal communication; see also Kattmann (2008).

  2. …what is needed is a theoretical framework that has place both for the individual mind and the larger social and cultural context that makes intellectual activity possible and meaningful (Vosniadou 1996, p. 106).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Science and Mathematics Education Centre, Curtin University, Perth, Australia

    David F. Treagust

  2. IPN – Leibniz Institute for Science Education, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany

    Reinders Duit

Authors
  1. David F. Treagust
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  2. Reinders Duit
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Correspondence to David F. Treagust.

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Treagust, D.F., Duit, R. Compatibility between cultural studies and conceptual change in science education: there is more to acknowledge than to fight straw men!. Cult Stud of Sci Educ 3, 387–395 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-008-9096-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-008-9096-y

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