An exploration of common student
misconceptions in science
This study formed the basis of an assignment for a teacher-training course. The
objectives of the study were to define three scientific concepts and identify for each
some of the misconceptions that students commonly have. Six students, representing
three distinct age groups were interviewed, using a predetermined set of questions and
activities for each concept. Student responses were recorded and evaluated in an
attempt to understand what misconceptions were held by the students, how they
acquired them. The study showed that the level of misconceptions varied between
concepts. There appeared to be some patterns in the level and type of misconceptions
between the three age groups, suggesting that a more rigorous study in this area
would be of value.
Concepts can be considered as ideas, objects or events that help us understand the world around
us (Eggen and Kauchak, 2004). Misconceptions, on the other hand can be described as ideas that
provide an incorrect understanding of such ideas, objects or events that are constructed based on a
person’s experience (Martin et al., 2002) including such things as preconceived notions, nonscientific
beliefs, na?ve theories, mixed conceptions or conceptual misunderstandings (Hanuscin,
n.d..). Piaget suggests that children search for meaning as they interact with the world around
them (see Eggen and Kauchak, 2004, p.281) and use such experiences to test and modify existing
schemas. There are many possible sources for the development of misconceptions. First, not all
experiences lead to correct conclusions or result in students seeing all possible outcomes. Second,
when parents or other family members are confronted with questions from their children, rather
that admitting to not knowing the answer, it is common for them to give an incorrect one
(Alagumalai, pers. comm.). Other sources of misconceptions include resource materials, the
media and teachers (http://www.jhargis.com/misconex.htm). The main issue is that all of the
above sources are considered to be ‘trustworthy’, leading to ready acceptance by students of what
they are being taught (http://www.jhargis.com/misconex.htm).
Misconceptions themselves can be related to such things as misunderstanding factual information
or being given conflicting information from credible sources such as parents and teachers
(http://www.jhargis.com/misconex.htm); Hanuscin, n.d.). The big issues are that once a
misconception has been formed, it is extremely difficult to change (Eggen and Kauchak, 2004)
and that possessing misconceptions can have serious impacts on learning (Hanuscin, n.d.).
Students come into the classroom with prerequisite knowledge (existing schemas) and as they
progress through their education these schemas are progressively (or sequentially) built upon
(Alagumalai, pers. comm.). In order to teach science effectively, it is vital to ensure that existing
schemas are sound and to modify any misconceptions that will compromise them, following the
logic that misconceptions themselves can be considered to be sequential and therefore lead to ever
increasing issues with learning as students continue to build their knowledge on current
understandings (Hanuscin, n.d.; Alagumalai, pers. comm.). There are many strategies available to
help teachers modify misconceptions (http://www.jhargis.com/misconex.htm), but before this can
be achieved, the teacher needs to have strategies for identifying exactly what misconceptions a
student may have.
This study was undertaken as an assignment in a Junior Science Methodology course as part of a
Graduate Teacher training program. As such it was more of a learning exercise rather than a true
research project. The objectives of the study were to define three scientific concepts and identify
for each some of the misconceptions that students commonly have. Six students of different ages
were interviewed, using a predetermined set of questions and activities for each concept and their
responses recorded, in an attempt to discover what the students’ misconceptions were, how they
acquired them and whether the exercises, combined with discussion, helped to modify any such
misconceptions. Three examples of science concepts and their associated misconceptions are
given in Table 1.
Table 1. Three examples of science concepts and their associated misconceptions
Whether something sinks or floats depends on a combination
of its density, buoyancy, and effect on surface tension.
Things float if they are light and sink if they are
heavy.
Clouds contain very small particles of water or ice that are
held up in the air by the lifting action of air currents, wind and
convection. These particles can become bigger through
condensation and when they become too heavy to be held up
in the air they fall to the earth as rain, hail or snow.
Clouds contain water that leaks out as rain.
An animal is a multicellular organism that is capable of
independent movement.
An animal is a land mammal other than a human
being. Insects, birds and fish are not animals.
METHODOLOGY
Six students, ranging between 6 and 15 years old were interviewed, to test both the
misconceptions themselves, and whether they changed with the age of the students (Table 2). The
students could be roughly split into three age groups: a) 6 to 7 years old, b) 10 years old and c) 14
to 15 years old.
Table 2. Age demographic of students interviewed
Approach
Three different approaches were used for the interviews. For Misconception 1, students tested the
question using practical activities. For Misconception 2, students had to give verbal responses. For
Misconception 3, a questionnaire was used (adapted from Dawson, 1997), in which, having been
asked the question, students ticked off their answers on a worksheet. The aim of using three
different approaches was to make the interviews: a) more fun for the students, b) more
informative for the interviewers, and c) allow a range styles for presenting results. In all cases,
probing and clarifying questions were used in an attempt to identify the bases for the students’
responses.
Student interviews: The student interviews were divided into four parts.
1. Students were asked a question or series of questions.
2. Students were asked to answer or test the question(s).
3. Students’ answers or discoveries were discussed with the interviewer.
4. Students were asked to answer further, or test discoveries again.
The approaches for the student interviews were as follows.
Misconception 1: Things float if they are light and sink if they are heavy.
1. Why do some things float and some things sink?
2. Feel these two items. (Metal and plastic spoons of the same size). Which is heavier? Will
they float or sink? Why? Test this to see whether you were right. Why was it so?
3. What about these two items? (Small metal pin/drawing pin and large plastic
spatula/chopstick) Will they float or sink? Why? Test this to see whether you were right.
Why was it so?
4. What about these two items? (Metal lid and plastic animal). Will they float or sink? Why?
Test this to see whether you were right. Why was it so?
5. What about these two items? (Two plastic animals of the same size) Will they float or
sink? Why? Test this to see whether you were right. Why was it so?
6. Discuss.
Misconception 2: Clouds contain water that leaks out as rain.
1. What is a cloud?
2. What makes up a cloud and how does it form?
3. How does rain get out of clouds?
4. What happens to the cloud when it rains?
5. Discuss.
Misconception 3: Birds, fish and insects are not animals.
1. What is an animal?
2. Look at the worksheet and tick whether you think each thing listed is an animal, plant or
something else.
3. How did you decide on these answers?
4. Discuss.
5. Would you change any of your answers?
RESULTS
Misconception 1: Things float if they are light and sink if they are heavy
Why do some things float and some things sink? In response to the initial question of why some
things float and some things sink, four out of six of the students initially explained sinking and
floating in terms of weight. However, most had some understanding that shape or other factors
could influence this, but found it difficult to describe. The eldest student (age 15) had a clear and
accurate understanding while the youngest (age 6) had some vague notions of water and air
pressure deciding what would sink or float. Details of student responses to testing whether various
items would sink or float in Experiments 1-4 are given in Table 3
Table 3. Student Responses to Misconception 1: Things float if they are light and sink if
they are heavy
Experiment 1: Heavy metal and light plastic. A plastic and a metal spoon of same size and shape
but markedly different weights were tested. Three out of five students (there was one missing
response for this section) predicted that on the basis of weight alone the metal spoon would sink.
The youngest student made the same decision but on the basis of the materials the spoons were
made of. While the eldest wouldn’t commit to whether the metal spoon would sink or float as he
couldn’t predict its ability to break surface tension.
Experiment 2: Light metal and heavy plastic. A plastic spatula (Sue)/toy (Fiona) and a metal pin
(Sue)/drawing pin (Fiona) of markedly different shape, size and weight were tested. Despite the
large weight difference, two of the students thought that the pin was heavier (less than 1g) than
the spatula (15g). The eldest child (age 15 years) felt that the pin would not break surface tension
and would therefore float. One student thought that the drawing pin would float because it was
boat shaped and that the toy would sink as the plastic was rough. Two of the children quickly
recognised that their first explanation had been incorrect as testing showed that the drawing pin,
although lighter sank, while the toy floated. The others in general continued to