6 Summary

Through this unit, you have explored the idea of alternative conceptions and examined examples of the ones held about heat and temperature. These alternative conceptions are not only confined to children. You will find many adults hold ideas that are different from the scientifically accepted ones. There are various ways in which you can find out what ideas your students hold, as traditional test questions often do not reveal the conceptual understanding of the students.

Changing your students’ alternative conceptions can be challenging, as they may be hard for the students to give up and change. One approach goes the heart of being a scientist and reflects how scientific knowledge and theories have developed over time. This is through gaining evidence and considering different explanations for observations. Therefore, teaching science in this way supports your students in becoming young scientists, as well as developing their scientific understanding.