Conceptual Change Research Research Articles

Examination of Conceptual Change Research Over A Decade: A Bibliometric Analysis Using Science Mapping Tool

This study aims to deliver a summary of conceptual change research based on scientific production, most rele-vant researchers and countries, co-authorship collaboration, and research foci. A bibliometric analysis of the scientific output in the field of conceptual change was carried out utilizing articles published between 2012 and 2021.A total of 515 articles published in educational psychology, cognitive science and science education jour-nals were extracted from Scopus databases. The main findings reveal that the number of articles on conceptual change during the 2012-2021 period is relatively constant. Co-authorship collaborations predominantly consist of researchers from the same country. In addition, a shift in the research foci was observed. Past studies have been widely carried out across disciplines, such as educational psychology, cognitive science, and pedagogic. Meanwhile, recent research foci have brought up curriculum and curriculum development as important keywords.

Lexicons of Key Terms in Scholarly Texts and Their Disciplinary Differences: From Quantum Semantics Construction to Relative-Entropy-Based Comparisons.

Complex networks are often used to analyze written text and reports by rendering texts in the form of a semantic network, forming a lexicon of words or key terms. Many existing methods to construct lexicons are based on counting word co-occurrences, having the advantage of simplicity and ease of applicability. Here, we use a quantum semantics approach to generalize such methods, allowing us to model the entanglement of terms and words. We show how quantum semantics can be applied to reveal disciplinary differences in the use of key terms by analyzing 12 scholarly texts that represent the different positions of various disciplinary schools (of conceptual change research) on the same topic (conceptual change). In addition, attention is paid to how closely the lexicons corresponding to different positions can be brought into agreement by suitable tuning of the entanglement factors. In comparing the lexicons, we invoke complex network-based analysis based on exponential matrix transformation and use information theoretic relative entropy (Jensen–Shannon divergence) as the operationalization of differences between lexicons. The results suggest that quantum semantics is a viable way to model the disciplinary differences of lexicons and how they can be tuned for a better agreement.

Transitions and the development of expertise: Update 2021

Recent research relating to the development of expertise has tended to focus on very high level expertise or the many factors which are important in its development. In formal educational contexts the model of domain learning is particularly relevant for understanding learning. Conceptual change research has evolved from a focus on misconceptions to exploring issues related to professional development. Research on epistemological beliefs, metacognition, self-regulation, and beliefs about the nature of intelligence has clarified several issues. Change between learning environments continues to be challenging for some learners with the groups at risk of not fulfilling their potential remaining relatively stable. A key issue for those engaged in educational psychology is how to influence policy which can negatively impact on expertise development, particularly in relation to structured ability grouping, the curriculum and assessment procedures the latter ensuring that a large proportion of children are doomed to failure.

Towards a manager's mental model: Conceptual change through business simulation

Mental models are relevant in both managerial decision making and management education. Decision-making studies have demonstrated how managers benefit from more accurate mental models by gaining higher-quality heuristics and better performance. However, management education studies assessing mental models as learning outcomes remain rare. This study aims at understanding how students' mental models change during a business simulation course. We designed a pre- and post-simulation concept map assignment that illustrated students' mental models as number of concepts, connections between concepts, and written explanations. The findings of our study demonstrate that students’ mental models changed through two interconnected processes: addition of new knowledge and change of misconceptions in existing knowledge. Based on these results, we composed a model of conceptual change through business simulation gaming. Our study contributes to the research on learning from business simulations and addresses the recent call for more conceptual change research in social sciences by enhancing the conceptual change discussion in the management education literature.

Knowledge of Student Learning Difficulties as a Plausible Conceptual Change Pathway Between Content Knowledge and Pedagogical Content Knowledge

There is a collective agreement about the necessity of content knowledge (CK) as a prerequisite for pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). However, most PCK models lack explanatory power because of the missing link between CK and PCK. Thus, the study firstly attempts to develop a theoretical model that consists of knowledge of students’ learning difficulty (KSLD) as a plausible pathway between CK and PCK with the conceptual change research entry. Secondly, it tests the causative relationship between CK and KSLD of PCK. The CK for this study constitutes acid rain, as well as the concepts of photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Seventy-three preservice science teachers (PSTs) participated in this study. The study used open-ended surveys and vignette-based individual interviews to measure PSTs’ CK and KSLD, respectively. The results indicate that (1) PSTs’ CK and KSLD are low. (2) There is a significant correlation (p < 0.01) between PSTs’ CK and KSLD. (3) Compared with a low or moderate level, the high level of PSTs’ CK is a significant predictor (p < 0.01) of their KSLD. Qualitative evidence supports preliminary quantitative results of the study. The study provides a PCK model that indicates KSLD as a plausible pathway to connect CK and PCK, using a conceptual change inquiry as a point of entry. The study implies the proposed PCK model based on conceptual change learning is useful for future teachers in responding to student learning difficulties. Besides, the PCK model is a fertile ground for robust research.

Disillusioned by Experience

This qualitative study examined the role that a priori conceptual frameworks play in fostering learning resistance by adult learners in a mandatory training context. In this qualitative study p/k-12 school teachers were interviewed about the views they held regarding in-service teacher training. Methods consisted of a taxonomic analysis with an imported concept, both from other sources. A taxonomic analysis is associated with grounded theory, and codes data using a taxonomy. The imported concept was a taxonomic framework taken from another source and was based on conceptual change research. The general purpose of the study was to populate the imported concept with participant data.

Conceptual Change in the Face of Digitalization: Challenges for Workplaces and Workplace Learning

The article discusses the explanatory power of conceptual change for research on workplace learning in digitalized workplaces. Interestingly, research on conceptual change is well established within the area of science education but widely neglected within the broad area of workplace learning research. Digitalization of work establishes new quality of tasks and tools by integrating workers and machines in digital networks. Hence, conceptual change can be considered as core concept for identifying workers’ successful adaption to digital transformation. Therefore, conceptual change research in the area of workplace learning in digitalized workplaces is highly relevant. The article reflects upon reasons, explores the potential of conceptual change for understanding workplace learning in digitalized workplaces, and illustrates the argumentation by exemplarily referring to digitalized farming. Finally, the article provides suggestions for future research.

Learning for professional expertise: Towards new ways of conceptualising conceptual change

Fast changes in scientific evidence, digital tools and other reconfigurations in professional knowledge work make issues of conceptual change in professional expertise critical. In this commentary, I argue that bringing conceptual change research into the domain of professional expertise is a practically important but conceptually challenging task. It can unlikely be achieved without significant theoretical and methodological advancement of current conceptualisations of conceptual change. Building on the contributions to this special issue, I make two suggestions. First, conceptual change research should be aligned with the change challenges that experts encounter in today’s world. Second, this research should take into account the inherent role of experts’ conceptual knowledge to support their actions.

Conceptual changes for and during working life

Rapid and radical changes in science, technology and society may result in new scientific concepts and new workplace practices, which require fundamental restructuring of prior knowledge. Over the years a noteworthy body of research has documented the processes of conceptual change, the learning mechanisms involved, and the instructional methods and strategies that can promote conceptual changes. This research, however, focused young learners in school settings. Conceptual changes in working life go beyond traditional conceptual change consisting of processes and mechanisms that involve the interaction between expertise development and workplace learning processes.This Special Issue investigates whether and how conceptual change research can be extended from learning in schools to learning in professional life.

ラーニング・プログレッションズ:―理科教育における新しい概念変化研究―

ラーニング・プログレッションズ:―理科教育における新しい概念変化研究―

A Review of Conceptual Change Research(1984-2016): Current Trends and Implications for Future Research

A Review of Conceptual Change Research(1984-2016): Current Trends and Implications for Future Research

Examining the Factors That Influence Students’ Science Learning Processes and Their Learning Outcomes: 30 Years of Conceptual Change Research

Background:This study used content analysis to examine the most studied conceptual change factors that influence students’ science learning processes and their learning outcomes. The reviewed research included empirical studies published since Posner et al. proposed their conceptual change model 30 years ago (from 1982 to 2011).Material and methods:One hundred sixteen SSCI journal and full text articles were sampled from the Education Resources Information Center database. “Conceptual change” in the title of the articles was used for screening the articles.Results:The results showed that learning outcomes chiefly examined students’ conceptual change and their science achievement. The most studied factors influencing conceptual change were associated with instruction and personal reasoning ability. As for instruction, multiple instructional methods were usually integrated in the research, and “conceptual conflict” and “cooperative learning” were found to be gaining the most attention. In addition, certain instructional methods were more frequently linked to specific science subjects. In addition, fewer studies in the ERIC database have been reported in relation to theories on conceptual change in science education.Conclusions:Educators require knowledge of conceptual change theories and strategies. Such information should be more readily available in order to develop teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge and help them put it effectively into practice.

Understanding groundwater – students' pre-conceptions and conceptual change by means of a theory-guided multimedia learning program

Abstract. Education on the subject of groundwater is crucial for sustainability. Nevertheless, international studies with students across different age groups have shown that the basic hydrogeological concept of groundwater defined as water within porous and permeable rocks is not an established everyday notion. Drawing from international research, a multimedia learning program Zwischen Regenwolke und Wasserhahn (between the rain cloud and the tap) was developed, which incorporates specific insights from the fields of conceptual change research, multimedia research, and the model of educational reconstruction. The effectiveness of the learning program was ascertained by means of two studies with Austrian seventh grade pupils as well as teacher-training students from the fields of biology and geography in order to ascertain the effectiveness of the learning program. Using a quasi-experimental research design, the participants' conceptions and knowledge of groundwater were determined in a pre- and post-test. The pupils and students greatly benefitted from working through the learning software independently. Their knowledge of groundwater increased significantly compared to the control group and there was a highly significant increase in the number of scientifically correct notions of groundwater. The acceptance of the program was also generally very high. The results indicate that theory-guided multimedia learning programs can play an important role in the transfer of research results to classroom settings, especially in science education.

Plausibility Judgments in Conceptual Change and Epistemic Cognition

Plausibility judgments rarely have been addressed empirically in conceptual change research. Recent research, however, suggests that these judgments may be pivotal to conceptual change about certain topics where a gap exists between what scientists and laypersons find plausible. Based on a philosophical and empirical foundation, this article presents a theoretical model of the role of plausibility judgments in conceptual change (PJCC) with implications for epistemic cognition. The PJCC moves beyond the limitations of cold cognitive processing by incorporating the warmer constructs of affect, motivation, and motivated reasoning. We review recent research in plausibility judgments that informed the PJCC's development and discuss components of the model. Of particular note is the importance of using explicit critical evaluation to reappraise plausibility judgments that may have been originally made through implicit cognitive processes. We also suggest potentially productive areas of future research based on the PJCC model.

How Does Learning in Leadership Work? A Conceptual Change Perspective

As the field of leadership education continues to prioritize learning in leadership, it is important to ask the question: What do we know about the learning process itself? Conceptual change, a learning framework used in educational psychology, can help to explain learning in leadership. Research on conceptual change in the social sciences is emergent and ripe for further exploration. Until the results of such research are readily available, there are some pedagogical tools produced by conceptual change researchers that leadership educators might find valuable in curriculum design. This paper introduces conceptual change theory and research to leadership educators as a viable framework from which to research learning in leadership, and presents pedagogical tools that encourage deeper learning through conceptual change

Conceptual Metaphor and the Study of Conceptual Change: Research synthesis and future directions

Many of the goals of research on conceptual metaphor in science education overlap with the goals of research on conceptual change. The relevance of a conceptual metaphor perspective to the study of conceptual change has already been discussed. However, a substantial body of literature on conceptual metaphor in science education has now emerged. This work has not yet been synthesized or related explicitly to the goals of conceptual change research. This paper first presents a broad sketch of the study of conceptual change, characterizing the goals of this body of work, its contributions to date, and identifying open questions. Next, the literature on conceptual metaphor in science education is reviewed against this background. The review clarifies the natural theoretical connections between the conceptual metaphor perspective and the phenomenon of conceptual change. It then examines the contributions made by the literature on conceptual metaphor in science education to the goals of research on conceptual change—namely, characterizing student conceptions, identifying obstacles to learning, understanding the process of conceptual change, and designing productive pedagogical strategies that could achieve conceptual change. The paper concludes with a discussion of further avenues for research into conceptual change, suggested by adopting a conceptual metaphor perspective.

How might educational research into children’s ideas about light be of use to teachers?

This paper offers a synthesis of research evidence around teaching light to primary and secondary school pupils as part of the Institute of Physics Promoting and Interpreting Physics Education Research (PIPER) project. Conceptual change literature describes many of the difficulties young people can have understanding the phenomenon of light, and this knowledge can be useful in the classroom. Pupil–teacher dialogue is used to illustrate some of the pedagogical challenges teachers face in this topic. This paper also highlights the range of influences on pupils from everyday life and from the classroom, with a view to promoting teacher awareness of conceptual change research evidence.

Using Metaphorical Models for Describing Glaciers

To date, there has only been little conceptual change research regarding conceptions about glaciers. This study used the theoretical background of embodied cognition to reconstruct different metaphorical concepts with respect to the structure of a glacier. Applying the Model of Educational Reconstruction, the conceptions of students and scientists regarding glaciers were analysed. Students' conceptions were the result of teaching experiments whereby students received instruction about glaciers and ice ages and were then interviewed about their understandings. Scientists' conceptions were based on analyses of textbooks. Accordingly, four conceptual metaphors regarding the concept of a glacier were reconstructed: a glacier is a body of ice; a glacier is a container; a glacier is a reflexive body and a glacier is a flow. Students and scientists differ with respect to in which context they apply each conceptual metaphor. It was observed, however, that students vacillate among the various conceptual metaphors as they solve tasks. While the subject context of the task activates a specific conceptual metaphor, within the discussion about the solution, the students were able to adapt their conception by changing the conceptual metaphor. Educational strategies for teaching students about glaciers require specific language to activate the appropriate conceptual metaphors and explicit reflection regarding the various conceptual metaphors.

The Influence of Approach and Avoidance Goals on Conceptual Change

ABSTRACTRecently, conceptual change research has been experiencing a warming trend (G. M. Sinatra, 2005) whereby motivational and affective factors are being explored in the conceptual change process. The purpose of this study is to explore the 2 × 2 framework of achievement goal theory in relation to students’ conceptual change learning for a specific topic in biology, HIV/AIDS. The authors hypothesized that those with approach goals (mastery approach and performance approach) would demonstrate greater posttest conceptual change in their understanding of HIV/AIDS than those with avoidance goals. Participants were 206 undergraduates in introductory-level college biology courses. Participants were provided a 1,004-word HIV/AIDS text and were pre- and posttested on their conceptual knowledge of HIV/AIDS. Results of an analysis of covariance indicated that approach-oriented students demonstrated greater conceptual HIV/AIDS change at posttest than avoidance-oriented students. Results are discussed in light of the warming trend and achievement goal theory.

Beyond Evidence-Based Belief Formation: How Normative Ideas Have Constrained Conceptual Change Research

The cognitive sciences, including psychology and education, have their roots in antiquity. In the historically early disciplines like logic and philosophy, the purpose of inquiry was normative. Logic sought to formalize valid inferences, and the various branches of philosophy sought to identify true and certain knowledge. Normative principles are irrelevant for descriptive, empirical sciences like psychology. Normative concepts have nevertheless strongly influenced cognitive research in general and conceptual change research in particular. Studies of conceptual change often ask why students do not abandon their misconceptions when presented with falsifying evidence. But there is little reason to believe that people evolved to conform to normative principles of belief management and conceptual change. When we put the normative traditions aside, we can consider a broader range of hypotheses about conceptual change. As an illustration, the pragmatist focus on action and habits is articulated into a psychological theory that claims that cognitive utility, not the probability of truth, is the key variable that determines belief revision and conceptual change.