Abstract
Scientific concepts of learning and the brain are relevant for biology teachers in two ways: Firstly, the topic is an object of instruction (e.g., long-term potentiation). Secondly, biology teachers must guide their students towards sustainable learning. Consequently, their own understanding of learning and the brain has an especially far-reaching influence on students. Pre-service biology teachers endorse so-called “neuromyths,” misconceptions on the subject of learning and the brain (e.g., the existence of learning styles) even though they cover neuroscientific content during their studies. These misconceptions remain relatively stable throughout university education and practical training. In this paper, we transfer the teaching and learning model of conceptual change to the university context. We investigate whether and to what extent a university course developed in accordance with a professional conceptual change model can reduce pre-service biology teachers’ endorsement of neuromyths. In a pre-post-design, 57 university students were asked about their professional knowledge, beliefs, neuromyths, and perception and utilization of the university course. We found a positive effect of the intervention on all three elements of students’ conceptual understanding. The results show that explicitly refuting misconceptions about learning and the brain (e.g., via conceptual change texts) helps to professionalize neuromyths.
Highlights
In the constructivist theory of teaching and learning, learners’ preconceptions, their knowledge and beliefs about a given area before receiving instruction, are a central element of the teaching and learning process [1]
This study demonstrated that the teaching and learning model of conceptual change and its implications for teaching and learning can be transferred to university teacher education
Whether it is promising for scientific research on professions and effective for academic teaching and learning on topics other than learning and the brain must still be evaluated
Summary
In the constructivist theory of teaching and learning, learners’ preconceptions, their knowledge and beliefs about a given area before receiving instruction, are a central element of the teaching and learning process [1]. With respect to scientific disciplinary knowledge, learners’ preconceptions can be either incorrect (= misconceptions [2]) or only appropriate in everyday contexts (= everyday conceptions [3]). Conceptual change research investigates both the process through which learners revise their preconceptions and acquire scientific concepts under conditions of systematic instruction as well as methods of studying and documenting conceptual change and associated challenges [1]. Conceptual change among learners in schools is the subject of numerous further education offerings for teachers. These have shown that even teachers have scientifically inappropriate conceptions and must undergo conceptual change processes as part of their professionalization [10,11].
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