Using a conflict map as an
instructional tool to change
student alternative conceptions in
simple series electric-circuits
指導教授：張菽萱
報告人：沈永祺
Theoretical frameworks
Conceptual change: students need to modify their existing
conceptions (e.g. miscoceptions, alternative conceptions) into
scientifically accepted conceptions during the course of
receiving science instruction.
Conceptual change is a difficult process to be achieved as it
may require radical restructuring of one’s existing schema or
cognitive structures.
The assertion of the use of conflict map: students should
resolve 2 conflicts during the process of conceptual change
1. Between the new perception and students’ alternative
conception
2. Between students’ alternative conceptions and scientific
concept
Method
Subjects: 4 8th grade (14-year-old)
“fundamental physical science” classes
2 classes were assigned to a traditional
teaching group, the other 2 classes were
assigned to a conflict map instruction group.
These 4 classes were taught by the same
teacher.
4 periods of the conflict map
group
review→draw a series circuit→students predict the current
value in any point of the circuit→students report their
experimental outcomes with possible explanations
The teacher recall students’ ideas derived from the
discrepant event and introduced of the target scientific
concept. The students again worked in small groups to
conduct the experiment presented in the critical event.
The teacher related the target scientific concept to other
scientific concepts such as resistance, voltage, energy,
Ohm’s law, electrons and electric potential differences.
The teacher used the water circuit analogy and other
examples to explain the target scientific concept.
Periods of the traditional group
Review the concepts of current, voltage and
resistance→use the water analogy
Students worked in small groups to measure
the current in series circuits. The teacher
explained the experimental results and
introduced Ohm’s law.
Students practiced 4 tutorial problems by
applying Ohm’s law.
Findings
Students’ responses on two-tier tests:
1. Students in the traditional group may have
memorized the correct factual scientific
knowledge but they didn’t have further
understanding about it.
2. The discrepant event and the critical event
in the conflict map instruction may have
been important in contributing to students’
conceptual change.
Findings
Students’ ideational networks:
1. The post Ideational Networks Assessment
(INA) revealed that conflict map group
students showed the better richness and
integratedness of ideational networks.
2. The delay INA revealed that students in the
conflict map group displayed a greater
extent and richer texture of ideational
networks.
Findings
Content analysis of ideational networks:
1. The traditional instruction didn’t
successfully challenge students’ alternative
conception.
2. The conflict map instruction properly
challenged students’ alternative conception
and students didn’t return to their original
understanding.
Conclusions
Suggestions to future research:
1. More studies on using conflict maps about
student other alternative conceptions are
necessary to further examine the
effectiveness of using conflict maps in a
wider scope.
2. Science teachers need to explore the
origins of student alternative conceptions
and then to design responding events to
challenge students’ alternative conception.