A Friendly Introduction to “Knowledge in Pieces”: Modeling Types of Knowledge and Their Roles in Learning

Abstract

Knowledge in Pieces (KiP) is an epistemological perspective that has had significant success in explaining learning phenomena in science education, notably the phenomenon of students’ prior conceptions and their roles in emerging competence. KiP is much less used in mathematics. However, I conjecture that the reasons for relative disuse mostly concern historical differences in traditions rather than in-principle distinctions in the ways mathematics and science are learned. This article aims to explain KiP in a relatively non-technical way to mathematics edu- cators. I explain the general principles and distinguishing characteristics of KiP, I use a range of examples, including from mathematics, to show how KiP works in practice and what one might expect to gain from using it. My hope is to encourage and help guide a greater use of KiP in mathematics education.