Abstract:
Research suggests that conventional teaching techniques have proved largely ineffective for dealing with the probl.em of science students' misconceptions or alternative frameworks. This paper reports an investigation whereby inter-personal conflict within dyadic interactions is used as a strategy for promoting develop- ment towards correct scientific conceptions amongst first-year tertiary physics students. The data indicate that a large number of physics students at the tertiary level hold non-scientific con- ceptions of physical phenomena. The dyadic interaction strategy has proved effective as a means of encouraging students to actively and closely consider their own thinking about basic physical concepts. Further, results highlight the importance of inter-personal conflict in the proc@ss of conceptual change.