Processing misconceptions: dynamic systems perspectives on thinking and learning

Abstract

The study of complex dynamic systems is central to biology. In this essay, I argue that thinking and learning can also be understood as phenomena that emerge from the continuous interactivity of dynamic systems. I first present and apply core concepts of dynamic systems theories to both biological and cognitive systems. I then use these ideas to explain how a dynamic systems perspective can recast the way we think about misconceptions, a central concept in the field of education research. Rather than model misconceptions as object-like entities that students either have or do not have, misconceptions can be modeled as patterns that emerge from continuous cognitive processes. I end by discussing how adopting a dynamic systems perspective suggests a need for research that uses methods designed to study processes in time and can inspire educators to embrace and value variation and fluctuation in students’ thinking and learning.