Conceptual change in biology: Group interaction and the understanding of inheritance

Abstract

Conceptual conflict, especially that generated by group discussion, has been shown to advance children's understanding of physics. The present study assessed whether this effect holds for biology, and more specifically concepts of inheritance, despite apparent differences between the characteristics of knowledge in the two domains. Pre‐test interviews gauged 8‐ to 12‐year‐olds’ initial ideas of heritable characteristics and inheritance mechanisms in animals. On the basis of these interviews, children were placed in one of three intervention conditions: individuals, groups holding similar ideas, or groups holding different ideas. They then completed a task designed to engender conceptual conflict via feedback, and either reflection on ideas (individuals) or group discussion. Post‐test interviews revealed greatest advance among children in groups with different initial concepts. The lower levels of progress in the individual condition indicated that group discussion was more effective than feedback alone in promoting change. Dialogue analysis showed the impact of discussion to be attributable to resolutions of conflict within the groups with differing concepts. During discussions regarding physics, such resolutions have previously been found to occur spontaneously only among older students. The results are discussed in relation to the nature of naïve biological concepts and domain‐specific development.