Misconceptions and conceptual changes concerning continental drift and plate tectonics among Portuguese students aged 16-17
L. Marques, D. Thompson 1997 Research in Science & Technological Education v15 p195-222

The study investigates the misconceptions of Portuguese students aged 16-17 in an area of science education, earth science education, which is insufficiently researched. Students' ideas of the following concepts were probed: continent, ocean, permanence of ocean basins, continental drift, the Earth's magnetic field, and plates and plate motions. Interviews were carried out and a questionnaire was administered to a total of 270 students after normal specialist teaching. A teaching-learning model was designed based on a constructivist approach which was underpinned by resources and strategies planned and trialled with an experimental group of volunteer students. The results reveal that the students held a substantial number of misconceptions. The resources and strategies designed to remediate the misconceptions proved to be effective and enjoyable in use.

Subject: Geoscience:Geology:Tectonics
Resource Type: Pedagogic Resources, Journal Article
Research on Learning: Geoscience Expertise:Complex Systems, Cognitive Domain:Misconceptions/barriers to learning