Conceptual Change Theory

Conceptual change is exactly what it sounds like it should be. It is taking somebodies misconception or wrong idea about a concept and then revealing to them what the correct conception is. The misconception arises from the persons' prior knowledge about that subject and how they've change and manipulated the concept to understand it better. If the new idea is not rejected it is either conceptually captured, conceptually exchanged or rotely memorized.

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With rote memorization, the new concept is just learnt but no effort is made to understand the new concept, concept capture means that the new idea is merged with the old one and with exchange, the new concept replaces the old concept.

So how are you as the teacher to know when Conceptual Change has occurred?

• The old concept should no longer be able to explain an event like before. The student should not be satisfied when using it as an explanation 
• The new concept should be understood fully otherwise the old one will not be replaced
• The new concept must be seen as believable, and answers questions that were left unanswered by the old concept - irrelevant of the students' view point
• The new concept can be applied to new examples

So if boiled down, conceptual change is just learning. The new concept is taught and with understanding, the old concept is merged, best case scenario, the old concept is replaced.

As the saying goes "Out with the old, in with the new"