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Challenging Cognitive Construals: A Dynamic Alternative to Stable Misconceptions

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Title: Challenging Cognitive Construals: A Dynamic Alternative to Stable Misconceptions
Language: English
Authors: Gouvea, Julia S., Simon, Matt R.
Source: CBE - Life Sciences Education. Jun 2018 17(2).
Availability: American Society for Cell Biology. 8120 Woodmont Avenue Suite 750, Bethesda, MD 20814-2762. Tel: 301-347-9300; Fax: 301-347-9310; e-mail: ascbinfo@ascb.org; Website: http://www.ascb.org
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 20
Publication Date: 2018
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Descriptors: Biology, Science Education, Educational Research, Misconceptions, Scientific Concepts, Undergraduate Students, College Science, Concept Formation, Cognitive Processes, Cognitive Psychology, Student Evaluation, Responses, Student Surveys
DOI: 10.1187/cbe.17-10-0214
ISSN: 1931-7913
Abstract: In biology education research, it has been common to model cognition in terms of relatively stable knowledge structures (e.g., mental models, alternative frameworks, deeply held misconceptions). For example, John D. Coley and Kimberley D. Tanner recently proposed that many student difficulties in biology stem from underlying cognitive frameworks called cognitive construals ("CBE--Life Sciences Education," 11[3], 209-215 [2012]; "CBE--Life Sciences Education," 14[1], ar8 [2015]). They argued that three such frameworks--teleology, anthropocentrism, and essentialism--cause undergraduate students to hold a range of misconceptions about the biological world. Our purpose in this article is to present an alternative perspective that considers student thinking to be dynamic and context sensitive. Using the example of cognitive construals, we argue that a dynamic perspective creates a burden of proof for claims of cognitive stability--to demonstrate that patterns of thinking are indeed stable across contexts. To illustrate our argument, we report on the results of a study designed to explore the stability of students' apparent teleological, anthropocentric, and essentialist thinking. Our results are inconsistent with framework models. We propose instead that response patterns stem from students' context-specific interpretations of the statements, consistent with dynamic models of cognition. Building on these preliminary findings, we discuss the implications of a dynamic view of cognition for biology education research and biology instruction.
Abstractor: As Provided
Number of References: 57
Entry Date: 2018
Accession Number: EJ1182532
Database: ERIC
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  Data: American Society for Cell Biology. 8120 Woodmont Avenue Suite 750, Bethesda, MD 20814-2762. Tel: 301-347-9300; Fax: 301-347-9310; e-mail: ascbinfo@ascb.org; Website: http://www.ascb.org
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  Data: In biology education research, it has been common to model cognition in terms of relatively stable knowledge structures (e.g., mental models, alternative frameworks, deeply held misconceptions). For example, John D. Coley and Kimberley D. Tanner recently proposed that many student difficulties in biology stem from underlying cognitive frameworks called cognitive construals ("CBE--Life Sciences Education," 11[3], 209-215 [2012]; "CBE--Life Sciences Education," 14[1], ar8 [2015]). They argued that three such frameworks--teleology, anthropocentrism, and essentialism--cause undergraduate students to hold a range of misconceptions about the biological world. Our purpose in this article is to present an alternative perspective that considers student thinking to be dynamic and context sensitive. Using the example of cognitive construals, we argue that a dynamic perspective creates a burden of proof for claims of cognitive stability--to demonstrate that patterns of thinking are indeed stable across contexts. To illustrate our argument, we report on the results of a study designed to explore the stability of students' apparent teleological, anthropocentric, and essentialist thinking. Our results are inconsistent with framework models. We propose instead that response patterns stem from students' context-specific interpretations of the statements, consistent with dynamic models of cognition. Building on these preliminary findings, we discuss the implications of a dynamic view of cognition for biology education research and biology instruction.
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