Misconceptions in Learning

“I knew all along that children tend to learn things in a wrong way. But I never realized that the issue is this serious. After watching these videos and discussing about misconceptions in learning with my colleagues here, I know that it is a serious issue and we need to address it.” A participant shared towards the end of the “Afternoons with TTF” session, held on 28 July 2010 in TTF Mangalore Centre. 18 teachers from 12 schools in Mangalore and Dakshina Kannada Region participated in a two hour session on Misconceptions in Learning.

Sojo Varughese and Patricia Lobo led the discussion session, using a set of videos developed by Wipro, Educational Initiative and India Today as a part of a National Research on teaching and learning in our schools. A discussion was built around the videos, to help teachers to understand misconceptions in learning. Teachers looked at ways in which children acquire misconceptions and how these misconceptions affect learning.

They also looked at a few misconceptions they have come across in their career as a teacher and how teachers could address those misconceptions. Teachers listed several misconceptions like how children think that ‘government is a building’ or how they think that inverted triangle is not a triangle. Teachers also discussed ways in which they can address these misconceptions.

Following is how a few teachers responded to our question about their learning, after the “Afternoons with TTF”:

“Teaching is not just giving additional knowledge. It is giving connection to the previous knowledge. Which more should be a two way method? Not telling them just it is wrong, not telling them correct modals but telling the why it is wrong.”

“Today I learned how misconceptions can not be addressed telling them the correct answer or telling them that their answer was wrong doesn’t help. So provide opportunities to test their answer, find out where they failed and let them find the answer themselves through experiments.”

“We have come across varieties of misconceptions just regarding science, like this there are many more. It is important to know about the misconceptions with our children and try to correct them.”

“I learnt about common misconception in learning of different concept. I came to know that teacher should know depth knowledge about particular concept. General opinion may leads to misconception so learning should be practice.”

“I realized what are the basic misconceptions in students and how it was cultivated and how it was cultivated and how it can be corrected? I will share it with my teachers so that we can use it in our classroom.”

Posted by Sojo Varughese, Center Coordinator, TTF Mangalore Centre