Dr. Keith S. Taber
Publication:
Taber, K. S. (2001)
Shifting sands: a case study of conceptual development as competition
between alternative conceptions
International Journal of Science Education, 23 (7), 731-753.
Abstract:
Conceptual change may be considered as a process of
coming to view one theory or model as having more explanatory power than
others. Various theorists have described how an individual's understanding
of a concept may be multifaceted; how conceptual frameworks develop in a
cognitive ecology, and are subject to selection pressures; and how alternative
frameworks compete in terms of their explanatory coherence. The present paper
applies these ideas to a case study of learning in science. It is argued
that conceptual development may be described in terms of a gradual shift
in which of several alternative explanatory principles is the learners' preferred
choice. The case study illustrates the long-term nature of conceptual change,
as a learner comes to see the limitations of one explanatory framework, and
the scope for exploring and developing another.