SCIENCE MISCONCEPTIONS OF PRIMARY GRADES STUDENTS – METHODS FOR OVERCOMING THEM

Абстракт

Students’ achievements, the knowledge they acquire during schooling, remain among the most frequently researched topics today. The other side of the coin consists of students’ misconceptions, which can contribute to a better understanding of the learning process and outcomes. This paper focuses on an overview of insights into the process of forming Science misconceptions, which are based on constructivist learning theories, the common mechanisms for creating scientifically accurate knowledge and misconceptions, the identification of typical Science misconceptions, and possible teaching strategies for overcoming them.

Science misconceptions are not necessarily bad; they enable researchers and teachers to better understand the learning process and outcomes, as well as to plan effective teaching strategies. Essentially, the way scientists overcome previous insufficient or incorrect knowledge is the same as the process through which students can overcome their own misconceptions.

One of the specific teaching strategies that has proven to be effective and aligned with the described theoretical principles is the predict-observe-explain method. Using examples related to the states of matter and the magnetic properties of materials, this paper illustrates how primary grades students can be guided through confronting their own misconceptions and overcoming them.