Using cognitive conflict to support Maltese student teachers’ understanding of abstract science concepts - a case study

Abstract

One of the main contributions that constructivism has made to science education is that it has generated amongst researchers and teachers a deeper awareness about students’ conceptions. Yet McDermott (1991) warns teachers that students’ conceptions can at times lack clarity. It is well documented that problems can be caused by students’ personalised conceptions (Duit, 2007) and these tend to persist even up to university level (Guisasola et al., 2003). One way of supporting students’ understanding of these conceptions is through the use of cognitive conflict. The theoretical origins of ‘cognitive conflict’ can be traced back to Piaget (1972). When using cognitive conflict one presents learners with something which is intriguing and which makes them stop to think. It provides an opportunity for learners to apply their understanding of scientific principles to tasks that can potentially challenge this understanding so that they have to ‘think again’. Through this process any students’ misconceptions or hazy ideas can be discussed with tutors and peers. In this study, two groups of Maltese science student teachers participated in a teaching intervention. Each teaching intervention involved seven 2-hr sessions. Group one was made up of 11 students and Group two of 12 students. During these sessions the theme of ‘Field Theory’ was presented to the participants. The student teachers ‘personalised’ conceptions about Field Theory would, at this stage, have already been formed. During the intervention two formal tasks were given to the students. The tasks were: [i] a set of 45 True-False [T-F] statements and [ii] four laboratory demonstrations that followed ‘Predict, Explain, Observe and React’ [PEORs] sequence. These were meant to prompt cognitive conflict arguments between students. In the classroom tasks, 168 sources of potential cognitive conflict were included in the T-F statements and PEORs. Out of these potential sources, 66 cases of cognitive conflicts resulted during the intervention. These conflicts were resolved by either the tutor, the peers or by the combined effort of both. This paper will discuss these conflicts and will provide evidence that such classroom argumentation tended to be lengthy and at times strenuous. Furthermore, the usefulness of the tasks set and how these can help prepare students to teach physics in secondary schools will also be discussed.