RESPONDING TO ALTERNATIVE CONCEPTIONS IN THE CLASSROOM.

Research shows that students come to science classes holding a wide range of alternative conceptions about curriculum topics, and that these ideas often interfere with classroom learning. The Royal Society of Chemistry established a Teacher Fellowship project entitled ‘Challenging misconceptions in the classroom’. Classroom materials to diagnose and challenge specific alternative conceptions were developed. Key ideas from research into how learners construct knowledge when learning science were used to inform teachers about strategies to teach science more effectively. The main outcome of the project is a two-volume resource that has been distributed to schools.