New Perspectives in Science Education

Misconception is a term that is commonly used to describe students’ understanding of scientific concepts which are different from of the acceptable/correct idea according to the science community. Misconceptions are coherent and they are offshoot of learners’ conceptual structure which provides the learner understanding of the natural world from their own point of view; even before any form of science education. As a result of this, classroom instruction will not result into meaningful learning unless the teacher employs instructional strategy and activities which will not only challenge the misconceptions but will bring about conceptual change. This study determined the effect misconception intervention one of such strategy which facilitates conceptual change.This study employed a pretest-posttest quasi experimental design adopting a 2x2x2 factorial design. The population of the study is made up of all Junior Secondary School three students in Odeda local government of Ogun state. One hundred students were sampled from junior secondary school three from four different schools using random sampling technique. Laboratory activities that could challenge and change students’ misconception of concepts of   floatation and density in basic science and modified lecture were the treatment and control respectively. Gender and school type were the moderating variables.  A two-tier multiple choice instrument was used for data collection. The result revealed that the treatment had a significant effect on students’ conceptual change in the selected concepts in basic science. The study recommended that teacher should diagnose and design activities that will remediate students’ various misconceptions in basic science.

Keywords: Misconceptions, Basic Science, learning outcome, Misconception Intervention;