Learning Scientific Concepts from Modelling-Based Teaching

Abstract

Whilst teaching for modelling competence is only gradually being established in schools, teaching for concept development is firmly established. If the best use is to be made of curriculum time, the relationship between the meanings of the two activities must be examined and cognitive efficiencies sought. The conventional meaning of `concept' enables the notions of `conceptual formation', `conceptual evolution' and `conceptual change' to be discussed in respect of single concepts. Science education in respect of concepts involves appropriate changes in a person's ontology, epistemology, and meta-representational competence. However, the established model of conceptual change meets a series of problems arising because these three conditions are not all met. If an artefactual view of `concept' is adopted, the learning approaches embedded in MBT can be adopted in single-concept work and these problems overcome. Thus the meanings of concept and model coalesce. The words `concept' and `model' are often used somewhat interchangeably both in general conversation and in science and science education. Exploring the relationship between the two is necessary if the relationship between `modelling-based teaching' and the long-established field of `teaching for concept development' is to be clarified.