ABSTRACT
For the past several decades, researchers studying conceptual change have demonstrated in numerous studies that learning presents unique challenges when students have their own naïve theories or preconceived notions about the world around them (see, for example, Anderson, Reynolds, Schallert, & Goetz, 1977; Carey, 1985; Chinn & Brewer, 1993; Piaget, 1952; Spelke, 1991; Vosniadou & Brewer, 1987). These challenges distinguish learning for conceptual change from knowledge acquisition conceptually and pedagogically in signifi cant ways. Further, it is precisely these distinctions that make the area of conceptual change research fruitful for providing insights into the nature of learning itself.
