Chapter 6, page 119
Implications for instruction
-It is important for teachers to find out more about students’ ideas about learning and knowledge in
order to facilitate learning.
-An important part of learning should include these conceptions about learning and knowledge.
FINDING OUT ABOUT STUDENTS’ PRIOR CONCEPTIONS
-Research has made clear that prior conceptions significantly affect learning, so if teachers can find out
what their students’ prior conceptions are, they can design instruction to facilitate learning.
-In order to find out about students’ conceptions, teachers must take on the role of an active listener, really
listening to what the students’ ideas are in order to understand their prior conceptions.
EXTENSIONS
Development
-The ideas in this chapter are generally applicable to students of all ages.
-Young children tend to be novices on nearly every topic and increase their expertise as they grow
older.
-Research also shows that there are developmental trends in epistemological beliefs, culminating in
some learners in an evaluativist viewpoint.
Cultural and linguistic diversity
-Teachers can learn more about students’ prior conceptions by gaining an understanding of their
cultural and linguistic background.
Students with learning disabilities
-The conceptions of students with learning disabilities tend to be poorly interconnected (like novice
conceptions). Students with learning disabilities may have greater difficulty activating prior
consistent conceptions, and teachers should be alert for fixed ability beliefs.