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This study focuses on elucidating and explaining reasons for the stability of and interrelationships between students' conceptions about Light Propagation and Visibility of Objects using contextualized questions across 3 years of secondary schooling from Years 7 to 9. In a large-scale quantitative study involving 1,233 Korean students and 1,149 Singaporean students, data were analyzed from responses to the Light Propagation Diagnostic Instrument consisting of four pairs of items, each of which evaluated the same concept in two different problem situations. Findings show that only about 10–45 % of students could apply their conceptions of basic optics in contextualized problem situations giving rise to both stable and unstable alternative conceptions. Students' understanding of Light Propagation concepts compared with Visibility of Objects concepts was more stable in different problem situations. The concepts of Light Propagation and Visibility of Objects were only moderately correlated. School grade was not a strong predictive variable, but students' school achievement correlated strongly with their conceptual understanding in optics. The teaching and learning approach and education systems in the two countries may have had some influence on students' conceptual understanding.

Understanding students’ alternative conceptions is important, as such conceptions can prevent them from making mathematical connections, thereby hindering their conceptual development. For this reason, this research aimed to identify the alternative conceptions that emerge when a group of pre-university students engage with derivative and integral tasks presented in algebraic, graphical and application problems contexts. Alternative conceptions were defined as conceptions inconsistent with those accepted by the mathematical community. Twenty-five students from a Mexican public institution participated. Data were collected through task-based interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. Nine alternative conceptions were identified. The most frequent included: the integral of the derivative of a polynomial function is obtained by finding the derivative and the integral separately and, the instantaneous velocity of an object is calculated using the formula v=d/t. These findings highlight the importance of explicitly addressing such conceptions in mathematics instruction to promote deeper conceptual learning.

The aim of the research was to analyze the learning difficulties and alternative conceptions that Spanish pre-service teachers have about digestive physiology and anatomy. The study was conducted on a primary education bachelor’s degree biology course during the 2021/2022 academic year (n=91). The participants were asked to complete a conceptual test before (pre-test) and after the instruction (post-test). The results revealed that they had a limited knowledge of the digestive process before instruction (pre-test), especially those in the humanities baccalaureate group. Numerous alternative conceptions were identified, for example, that digestion ends in the stomach, mechanical digestion takes place only in the mouth, and nutrient absorption and transport into the bloodstream are not part of the digestive process. The results also indicated that levels of knowledge increased significantly after the course was completed (post-test); however, several features of the digestive process remained poorly understood, mainly because of the pre-service teachers’ lack of understanding of the cellular or molecular aspects that govern this process and their inability to distinguish between macro and micro levels of digestion. It is therefore recommended that the pre-service teachers acquire a comprehensive knowledge of the digestive by studying other scientific disciplines (physics, chemistry, cell and molecular biology, and so on).

This study investigates alternative conceptions of chemistry concepts among Faculty of Science students at Palestine Technical University-Kadoorie. Students are found to have incorrect views about fundamental chemistry concepts. The study aims to identify these misconceptions, understand their origins, and their impact on students' comprehension. For data collection, the researcher used a conceptual exam administered to 52 students. A desk review explored the interpretation of alternative conceptions. The results showed incorrect answers ranging from 53.9% to 84.6%. Students showed confusion between specific heat and temperature, misunderstanding concentration in saturated solutions, and incorrect views on boiling points, metalloids, and gas solubility. The researcher explained the sources of these misconceptions. Based on the results, educators need to develop their teaching style to address these alternative conceptions. Educators should consider the presence of alternative conceptions when instructing fundamental chemistry concepts and promptly address them to improve students' comprehension. This research fills a gap in the literature by providing insights specific to the Palestinian context, which has been underexplored in previous studies. The study aimed to identify alternative concepts in chemistry among the Faculty of Science students. The researcher explored the existence of these concepts through teachers' preparation lectures, depending on some various strategies, such as investigation, discussions, written dialogue, concept mapping, and problem solving, while she was implemented the experimental learning about scientific concepts; she noticed that there are a lot of alternative concepts, which prompted her to do this diagnostic study to explore the extent of these alternative conceptions among the Faculty of Science students. This study is of significant importance as it addresses a pivotal topic. If these alternative concepts remain unaddressed, they could accumulate in the minds of student teachers. This study provides interpretations of these alternative concepts, elucidating the reasons for their formation, also this can help in effectively addressing them.

A perspective on learning and teaching that considers knowledge must be constructed by the individual learner using available interpretive resources, and where learners are likely to misconstrue instruction without well-designed teaching that is informed by knowledge of learners’ ideas.

Background: Almost at the end of 2022, the world is experiencing a relative calm after the rigors imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Knowing the ideas, feelings and procedures used by people in this type of unexpected events, which exceeded all established standards of educational and health actions, can help us be prepared for the possible occurrence of similar events. This study aims to determine the main alternative conceptions that pre-service teachers hold about the pandemic and the post-pandemic within the framework of the four basic pillars of Education. Methods: A case study was conducted using an ethnographic approach. The unit of analysis was made up of 227 students from the major of Primary Education at Universidad Técnica del Norte. Two research instruments were used to collect the data: a test for verbal associations where participants can express themselves freely with hierarchical, substitution and connotative evocations; and Specialized Analytical Summary sheets to revise and organize specialized scientific texts. The data was analyzed using the IRaMuTeQ software. Results: At first glance, what was expressed in the two contexts, both in the pandemic and in the post-pandemic, show a similar structure; however, a deeper analysis reveals different perspectives. Conclusions: In the end, the alternative conceptions moved from expressing fear to tranquility.

The complexity of gear concepts, often misunderstood by young children, highlights the need for educational frameworks beyond simple play. To examine the effects of using the prediction, observation, and explanation (POE) model in building block activities, a true experimental design was implemented. A total of 49 preschoolers were randomly assigned to either an experimental group, which engaged with building blocks embedded with the POE model, or a control group, which followed a building instruction guide. Data were gathered through pretests, posttests, and two-week delayed tests administered to all participants. The theoretical framework for this study was based on the POE model, emphasizing the importance of prediction, observation, and explanation in the learning process. The results revealed that the POE model had positive impacts on fostering young children’s acquisition of gear concepts. Specifically, gear speed and gear direction were identified as the most challenging concepts for preschoolers to grasp. The results highlight the critical role of children's reflection in learning these concepts. The participants’ common naive conceptions about gear function, gear speed, and gear direction were identified. The implications of these results highlight the importance of incorporating reflective practices in early childhood education to enhance concept acquisition and address misconceptions.

The aim of the study was to descibe of the alternative conception of prospective primary school teachers related to concept of heat and temperature. This study uses the quantitative descriptive method. This study was conducted on 34 prospective primary school teachers at one university in Riau Province who had attended the basic concepts of science course. The university is located in the coastal area of Riau province. The instrument used to collect data is a conception test in the form of true/false choices accompanied by an explanation of the answers. Based on the choice of true/false answers and explanations given by prospective elementary school teachers, the alternative conceptions they have can be determined. The results showed that there were a number of alternative conceptions owned by prospective elementary school teacher students related to the concept of heat and temperature, where some of the alternative conceptions led to a state of misconception.

In the aftermath of the financial and economic recession of 2008, 130 Spanish students of five age groups (8 to 17 years) and two socioeconomic backgrounds were individually interviewed about unemployment and lower wages. The participants were presented with two hypothetical situations, and their responses were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. The results indicated that children bring their conceptions of work when attempting to explain those phenomena. Specifically, it was found that the explanations were closely associated with the comprehension of the notion of surplus value (i.e., the idea that workers create more value than the cost of their salaries), and that the development of this notion proceeds in three levels. Younger children were simply unaware of the capacity of workers to create value (Level 1), which gave rise to some alternative conceptions (e.g., the idea that money for salaries comes from external sources). The children within the age range of 12–13 began to understand that workers create some value (Level 2). At this level, however, the notion of surplus value was not fully understood, and the idea that money for salaries comes from external sources persisted in a variety of ways. From the ages of 13–14, the children begin to understand that a wage is the price of labor and that the employer earns a profit because workers create more value than the cost of their wages (Level 3). The article presents a discussion of the possible reasons behind the slow progress observed and highlights some suggestions for educational practice.