Students' beliefs about conceptual knowledge in introductory physics

This paper describes a distinction between two ways in which students may see the role of conceptual knowledge in introductory physics. Concepts is a belief that conceptual knowledge constitutes the core of physics understanding; Apparent Concepts is a belief that the associations between conceptual knowledge and physics are apparent but not essential. Excerpts from interviews of two subjects illustrate this distinction in a range of interviewing activities and show its relevance for understanding students' work in an introductory physics course.