2 Alternative conceptions about heat and temperature

The true/false quiz you did in Activity 1 is based on some of the alternative conceptions (sometimes referred to as misconceptions) about heat and temperature found by researchers. Some of the alternative conceptions held by children are as follows:

• Heat is a substance, like water or air, that flows in and out of objects.
• Hot and cold are separate entities and not part of a continuum.
• Cold is the opposite of heat.
• There are different sorts of heat, identified by the source or properties of the object concerned.
• Heat is hot, but temperature can be cold or hot.
• Temperature and heat are the same.
• Cold objects do not possess heat.

Pause for thought Go back to the list you made earlier about the experiences of heat and temperature that children are likely to have through their lives outside school. How is the word ‘heat’ used? What phrases are used about heat that might lead to misunderstandings?

This is a science topic that children find difficult. These difficulties are partly due to the way in which the word ‘heat’ is used in everyday language. Millar (2000) pointed out that ‘heat’ is used both as a noun (e.g. the heat in an object) and as a verb (e.g. to heat an object). So the word ‘heat’ is used to describe the energy in a hot object as well as the process of energy transfer between two objects because of a difference in temperature (2000, p. 9). This highlights the need for you, as a teacher, to be careful with your use of language and to provide your students with the opportunity to explore the meanings behind the terms used.

Pause for thought Can you think of any other science topics where the scientific explanation is hard to grasp because it seems contrary to our everyday experience?