Conceptual Change Instruction: A Social Constructivist Perspective

Studies of conceptual change from a social constructivist perspective are reviewed and synthesized. Some studies that analyzed teacher-student interactions involved the use of tradebooks and teacher-guided and student-initiated discussion helpful to conceptual change. Other studies that examined student student interactions in peer groups demonstrated that the interactions and sociocultural factors that affected them interfered with conceptual change. The effect of gender on conceptual change in teacher-student interactions and student-student interactions is also discussed. Finally, the implications of this research for instruction are drawn.