Science education research based on the constructivist model of
learning has emphasized the importance of understanding students’ prior knowledge
before beginning instruction. Of particular importance to educators is the complex
issue of student misconceptions. Most misconception research has addressed the
physical sciences, with relatively little attention to ecology. In this article, key
ecological concepts are identified and related misconceptions and implications of the
misconceptions are summarized. The author concludes that this area of study is
critically important to environmental educators and researchers.