Alternative Conceptions Alternative Conceptions and the Geoscience and the Geoscience Concept InventoryConcept Inventory

Heather L. PetcovicHeather L. Petcovic

- What are alternative conceptions? - What are alternative conceptions? - The Geoscience Concept Inventory (GCI)- The Geoscience Concept Inventory (GCI)- Example: alternative conceptions among - Example: alternative conceptions among preservice K-8 teacherspreservice K-8 teachers- Collaborator: Robert Ruhf- Collaborator: Robert Ruhf

What Are Alternative Conceptions?What Are Alternative Conceptions?

- Concept or idea not consistent with the Concept or idea not consistent with the accepted scientific ideaaccepted scientific idea

- Misconception- Misconception- Naïve conception- Naïve conception- Prior conception- Prior conception

- NOT a mistake- NOT a mistake

- Deeply ingrained and resistant to - Deeply ingrained and resistant to change. Examples:change. Examples:

- Cause of the seasons Cause of the seasons (A Private Universe, (A Private Universe, 1987)1987)

- Ideas about the earth’s interior Ideas about the earth’s interior (Libarkin and Anderson, 2005)(Libarkin and Anderson, 2005)

A very brief history of alternative A very brief history of alternative conceptions researchconceptions research

- - Early workEarly work: 1920’s - 60’s: 1920’s - 60’s“…learning is the result of the interaction “…learning is the result of the interaction between what the student is taught and his between what the student is taught and his current ideas or concepts.” current ideas or concepts.” (Posner et al., 1982, p. 211)(Posner et al., 1982, p. 211)

- - Conceptual change researchConceptual change research: 1970’s - 80’s : 1970’s - 80’s Identification of specific beliefs and concepts Identification of specific beliefs and concepts held by students, how these ideas change (or do held by students, how these ideas change (or do not change) during instruction not change) during instruction (e.g., Driver and (e.g., Driver and Easley, 1978; Viennot, 1979)Easley, 1978; Viennot, 1979)

- - Development of assessment toolsDevelopment of assessment tools: 1990’s: 1990’s- Physics: FCI - Physics: FCI ((Hestenes, et al., 1992)Hestenes, et al., 1992)

- Chemistry: CCI - Chemistry: CCI (Mulford, 1996)(Mulford, 1996)

The Geoscience The Geoscience Concept Concept

InventoryInventory-Developed by Julie Developed by Julie Libarkin and Steve Libarkin and Steve Anderson Anderson (Libarkin and Anderson, 2006; (Libarkin and Anderson, 2006; Libarkin et al., 2005; Libarkin Libarkin et al., 2005; Libarkin and Anderson, 2005)and Anderson, 2005)

- What prior - What prior knowledge do students knowledge do students bring to the bring to the classroom?classroom?

- How does knowledge How does knowledge change during change during instruction?instruction?http://picture-book.com/files/userimages /43u/classroom.jpg

http://picture-book.com/files/userimages /43u/classroom.jpg

The Geoscience Concept InventoryThe Geoscience Concept Inventory- Qualitative data: - Qualitative data: interviews, drawings interviews, drawings (N>1000) (N>1000)

-Developed ~75 Developed ~75 multiple-choice multiple-choice questions based on questions based on responsesresponses

-Validity and reliability Validity and reliability testing (IRT and DIF) -> testing (IRT and DIF) -> 69 items 69 items

Test constructionTest construction::- Select 15 questions to Select 15 questions to create individual sub-create individual sub-testtest

-Sub-tests are of Sub-tests are of statistically similar statistically similar difficultydifficulty

A BA. One large landmass surrounded by water

B. All water and no land

CC. Similar to today D. Mostly molten rock

and no water

E. We have no way of knowing

D

E

?

7. What did the Earth's surface look like when it first formed?

Self-Score Your GCISelf-Score Your GCI

No.No. Correct Correct ResponseResponse

11 CC

22 A, D onlyA, D only

33 C onlyC only

44 A, B, C onlyA, B, C only

55 AA

66 CC

77 D onlyD only

88 CC

99 CC

1010 A, B, C, D, A, B, C, D, and Eand E

1111 DD

1212 DD

1313 BB

1414 DD

1515 CC

Give yourself one point per correct answer (no Give yourself one point per correct answer (no partial credit). partial credit).

How did you do? How did you do?

GCI Results: GCI Results: Alternative conceptions among Alternative conceptions among

undergraduatesundergraduatesLibarkin and Anderson (2005):Libarkin and Anderson (2005):- Introductory geoscience students (USA)- Introductory geoscience students (USA)

Pretest N = ~2500Pretest N = ~2500Posttest N = ~1300Posttest N = ~1300

- Included variety of institutions, class sizes, - Included variety of institutions, class sizes, instructional methodsinstructional methods

FindingsFindings::- Test is difficult with little gain- Test is difficult with little gain

Pre-test mean = 41.5%Pre-test mean = 41.5%Post-test mean = 42.2%Post-test mean = 42.2%

- Students with poorest scores on the pre-test - Students with poorest scores on the pre-test leave with greatest knowledge gains; advanced leave with greatest knowledge gains; advanced students show little gainsstudents show little gains- Extreme persistence of entrenched ideas- Extreme persistence of entrenched ideas

GCI Results: GCI Results: Alternative conceptions among Alternative conceptions among

preservice teacherspreservice teachers- Earth Science for Earth Science for Elementary Educators, 6 Elementary Educators, 6 sections, 2 instructorssections, 2 instructors

Pre-test n = 122Pre-test n = 122Post-test n = 102Post-test n = 102Matched = 89Matched = 89

Example studyExample study::

- Research questions:- Research questions:(1) What alternative (1) What alternative conceptions do conceptions do preservice preservice elementary (K-8) elementary (K-8) teachers hold?teachers hold?

(2) How do these (2) How do these alternative alternative conceptions change conceptions change during this course?during this course?

-Method:Method:-Pretest/posttestPretest/posttest-Quantitative Quantitative analysisanalysis

GCI Results: GCI Results: Alternative conceptions among Alternative conceptions among

preservice teacherspreservice teachers

• All class sections All class sections • No significant difference on pretest scores No significant difference on pretest scores among sections (one way ANOVA p value = among sections (one way ANOVA p value = 0.54) 0.54) • Pretest mean 43.9% (N=122)Pretest mean 43.9% (N=122)• Posttest mean 48.1% (N=102)Posttest mean 48.1% (N=102)

• Mean gain of 4.8%; sections 3-6 mean gain of Mean gain of 4.8%; sections 3-6 mean gain of 6.5%6.5%

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GCI Results: GCI Results: Alternative conceptions among Alternative conceptions among

preservice teacherspreservice teachers

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GCI Item 28

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Gains on individual itemsGains on individual items• Overall largest gains of Overall largest gains of

any item (+38%)any item (+38%)• Result of course Result of course

activity?activity?

28. Which of the figures below do you think most closely represents changes in life on Earth over time? Choose one:

T o d a y

E a r th F o r m s

L ife A p p e a rs

H u m a n s A p p e a rD in o s a u rs D is a p p e a rD in o s a u rs A p p e a r

D

T o d a y

E a r th F o r m s

L if e ( in c lu d in g d in o s a u rsa n d h u m a n s ) A p p e a rs

D in o s a u rs D is a p p e a r

E

T o d a y

E a r th F o rm sL ife A p p e a rs

H u m a n s A p p e a rD in o s a u rs D is a p p e a rD in o s a u rs A p p e a r

A

T o d a y

E a r th F o rm s

L ife A p p e a rs

H u m a n s A p p e a rD in o s a u rs D is a p p e a r

D in o s a u rs A p p e a r

C

T o d a y

E a r th F o rm s

L ife A p p e a rs

H u m a n s A p p e a rD in o s a u rs D is a p p e a r

D in o s a u rs A p p e a r

B

GCI Results: GCI Results: Alternative conceptions among Alternative conceptions among

preservice teacherspreservice teachersEntrenchment of prior knowledgeEntrenchment of prior knowledge• No students chose only correct response (pretest No students chose only correct response (pretest

or posttest)or posttest)• 25% gain in correct response on posttest25% gain in correct response on posttest• All students chose other distracters in addition to All students chose other distracters in addition to

correct responsecorrect response1. Some scientists claim that they can determine when the Earth first formed as a planet. Which technique(s) do scientists use today to determine when the Earth first formed? Choose all that apply.

(A) Comparison of fossils found in rocks

(B) Comparison of different layers of rock

(C) Analysis of uranium and lead in rock

(D) Analysis of carbon in rock

(E) Scientists cannot calculate the age of the Earth

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GCI Item 1

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*A B C* D E

What’s Next? GCI Web CenterWhat’s Next? GCI Web Center

Community Community effort to effort to improve the improve the GCIGCI

• Contribute Contribute items in items in additional additional content content areasareas

• Comment Comment and and feedback to feedback to improve improve items items

• Create tests Create tests and test and test students students onlineonline

http://gci.lite.msu.edu/