A Methodology for Confronting Science Misconceptions

An approach is outlined to the problem of confronting students with the inconsistencies entailed by their own beliefs. A methodology is outlined that is generally applicable to science students. It is rooted in research into students' beliefs, the assumption that students need to face up to the problems involved in building their own mental models of events and situations and that computer-based modeling facilities can provide suitable means in promoting productive confrontations. The approach is illustrated with reference to the application of the methodology to two physics subdomains of distinct characters. Finally, both the advantages and disadvantages are briefly assessed.