BAB 3

BAB 3 STUDYING CONCEPTUAL CHANGE :

CONSTRUCTING NEW UNDERSTANDING

OLEH :

NAMA : KARTINI EDNINIM : 8146141012KELAS : A (REGULER)

PROGRAM PASCASARJANAUNIVERSITAS NEGERI MEDAN

2014

The goal of this article is to review recent results on conceptual change and to attempt to set research agendas for

studying the conceptual change process. So far the considerable effort we have

spent as a research community identifying the alternative conceptions which students hold and quantitying to what extent these conceptions change as a result of various

types of instruction.

Introduction

Conceptual Change

Carey describes two possible senses of what she calls "knowledge restructuring", weak and strong.

In weak restructuring, concepts are not changed, rather their applications are either extended, restricted, or rearranged. Knowledge restructuring in the strong sense involves changes in the concepts themselves i. e. conceptual change. For Carey, rearrangement without changes in the concepts is not conceptual change.

What is it that is changing?

The position is that conceptions are fundamental beliefs about how the world works

which individuals form in response to experiences and in concert with others. It is a matter of what sense the world makes rather

than describing what is. We find describing the world as it is is neither possible nor is it a

productive way to think about teaching and learning.

Briefly, one sees "alternative conception" used to describe the incorrect answer students give

to specific questions. One also sees it associated with the particular physical

situation in which students give answers which differ from those of the scientist.

From a constructivist perspective the nature of the instructional enterprise differently than is traditional. We do not see its function as the delivery of a more accurate- picture of reality to the students or leading the students

to scientific knowledge. For us understanding cannot be transmitted,

it must be built by the individual.

Categories of Conceptual Change

Toward a taxonomy of conceptual change

Identyfy categories of conceptual change which are functionally useful in the classroom. It appears that conceptual change can be organized into a taxonomy. The categories in this taxonomy are characterized by unique changes in the representations of conceptions from the pre-conception to the post-conception and by unique features of the strategies which seem to induce the type of conceptual change represented by that category. 

Three potential categories as a start for a taxonomy: 1. Differentiation2. Class extension3. Reconceptualization

If such a taxonomy can be built which includes examples of conceptual change that are known and if it can be defended on both a logical basis and on the basis that it informs effective teaching for conceptual change, then indeed the taxonomy would be a major contribution to the field. It would enable us to probe the nature of conceptual change in greater depth and it could be used by teaches to assist decision making in the classroom. Class Extension Another conceptual change process which seems to constitute a taxonomic cat class extension.

If we find that all conceptual changes can be understood as being members of categories such as those describe above, and that those categories are associated with general strategies which can be instantiated for each member of the category, then we will have a powerful tool for inducing conceptual change-one that could be applied to new examples of conceptual change, should they be found to fit an existing category.

Even if some examples of conceptual change defy this categorization, as long as a majority do not, the taxonomy will be useful. it would not be constructive to wage long arguments over the "reality" of the taxonomic categories. Debate over taxonomy for the taxonomy's sake, I believe would be a perversion of its utility.

Initiating Connceptual Change : Disequilibration

I find it useful to think of change in the knowledge state of a learner in terms of assimilations, accomodations and disequilibrations. these terms were initially introduced in the context of learning by Piaget and are important to my notions of conceptual change because they are useful, from the standpoint of learning and pedagogy, for describing the necessary conditions for conceptual change.

Assimilation is the regocnition that an event (physical or metal) fits an existing conception (Glasersfeld,1987). Assimilations strengthen existing beliefs or convictions.

If students can assimilate events (words, ideas, experiences) presented in the course of instruction, then there is no disequilibration and no conceptual change. Thus, the point of instruction should be to induce conceptual change. it cannot accomplish this without causing disequilibration.

Accommodation is a change in a belief about how the world works, that is, a change is a conception, which enables an event to be assimilated that could not have been assimilated under previously held conceptions.

For accommodation to occur a student must become motivated to change by entering a state of cognitive disequilibration : sometimes profound, sometimes not, but always a disequilibration. Disequilibration can occur when the student's expectations are not met, that is when an event does not fit with the student's existing beliefs.

It should be noted, before going on, that disequilibration is not contadiction. The latter refers to a logical inconsistency whereas disequilibration is a conceptual incongruity. Disequilibration is not a consequence of formal, truth-valued statement, but, rather, of the sureprice produced when an expected event does not occur. conceptual change does not depend on contracdition, but on diseauilibration. one cannot prove or disprove a belief. it is better to think in terms of what supports or undermines belief.

If we stopped at the point of disequilibration students we would quickly find that our efforts had largely been a waste of time. if students are not given a change to build new conceptions when they find the old ones no longer satisfactory many conclude thT they "just cannot do science" The observer who suggestr that the examples cited herein are just what used to be called discovery learning misses some subtle and profound points. All to frequently instruction becomes a game of "guess the answer the instructor wants". thinking about a phenomenon and what makes sense is abandoned. The instructor participates by giving hints which many time have nothing to do with reasoning about the phenomena (Barnes, 1986). 

Nurturing conceptual change

STUDYING CONCEPTUAL CHANGE

That we are beginning to focus our attention on the process of conceptual change is a

consequence of the fact that we are beginning to focus our teaching efforts in such a way as

to cause conceptual change to occur. the challenge as we start to study something for

the first time is in how to record and describe it for extended, in-depth analysis.

Items for a research agenda studying conceptual change :1. we need to be able to describe conceptual

change in detail2. attempt to reach consensus on the nature

of conceptions3. identify categories of conceptual change

which are functionally in the classroom4. investigate the nature of disequilibration5. investigate the process of nurturing

conceptual change6. devise methods which can be used by

teachers in the classroom to determine whether conceptual change has occured

TERIMA KASIH