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University of Wyoming


STUDENT MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT MATH AND SCIENCE DISPELLED

Nov. 19, 2003 -- Educators in far away locations such as Taiwan,
Malaysia, Spain and Panama are learning from a University of Wyoming
professor who demonstrates effective new approaches to teaching science and
mathematics.

Joseph Stepans, professor at the UW College of Education, is recognized
internationally for his research and publications in the area of student
misconceptions of science and math. Born in Iran, Stepans was one of three
people invited to speak at the recent 2003 Conference on Conceptual Learning
in Taiwan. He gave three talks and met informally with fellow scholars and
doctoral degree students. He says he was impressed they had identified the
importance of his research.

"They wanted to put a lot of time and energy into these misconceptions
by publishing books, creating new curricula and new ways of teaching," he
says.

Dispelling misconceptions is becoming increasingly important
internationally. The International Group Studying Students' Misconceptions
of Science and Math, with members in more than 40 countries, meets every
three or four years to discuss the latest research and developments. The
next meeting is being planned for 2004 in Cuba, Chile or the Philippines.

The problem behind the misconceptions about science and math, says
Stepans, are innate feelings and perceptions people glean from textbooks,
stories, media and personal experiences. These can both oversimplify
information or make it too daunting to want to explore the subjects.

"For example," he says, "people think it's warmer in the summer because
we're closer to the sun. This is a misconception. It's warmer in the summer
because of the Earth's tilt.

"The problem," he says, "is that instructors don't look at what
students bring into class and what they can do to supplement this
information. The answer lies in finding out what students bring into the
classroom, what their parents taught them, what they've read, etc. Then, we
need to make students aware of these misconceptions and teach them
strategies, activities and challenges that will supplement their knowledge.
We need to help them learn the correct concepts."

He adds, "We need to contact educators in other countries so we can
learn from each other and combine our efforts."

Stepans has conducted research and created professional development
models for teachers and administrators in many countries, including the
Middle East, Spain, Malaysia, Costa Rica, Panama, Turkey and Portugal.