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Conceptual Change and Primary Geography

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Teaching Primary Geography

Part of the book series: Key Challenges in Geography ((KCHGE))

Abstract

During recent decades, much research has been conducted on misconceptions and conceptual change in science education focusing on the physical environment. Only a part of this research refers to primary school settings. An even smaller amount of this covers pertinent questions about primary school students and their ideas about scientific concepts on geography-related topics. This chapter will summarise conceptual change theories and implications for a didactical perspective. Furthermore, there will be a brief review of the international literature on research concepts on geography-related topics. The chapter will end with insight from an empirical study of primary children’s conceptions about rivers.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Students’ and Teachers’ Conceptions and Science Education.

  2. 2.

    Ludwigsburg-Lucerne Bibliography on Conceptual Change Research in the Geosciences.

  3. 3.

    This observation is also reflected in diSessa’s (1988) conceptual change approach. In his “Knowlegde-in-pieces” theory, increasing coherence in the conceptions describes the development of a novice to an expert.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Primary Science and Social Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany

    Moritz Harder

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  1. Moritz Harder
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Correspondence to Moritz Harder .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Gillian Kidman

  2. University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany

    Daniela Schmeinck

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Harder, M. (2022). Conceptual Change and Primary Geography. In: Kidman, G., Schmeinck, D. (eds) Teaching Primary Geography. Key Challenges in Geography. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-99970-4_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-99970-4_5

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