Promoting scientific understanding and conceptual change in young children using explanations and guidance.

Evaluating evidence and restructuring beliefs based on anomalous evidence are fundamental aspects of scientific reasoning. These skills can be challenging for both children and adults, especially in domains where they possess inaccurate prior beliefs that can interfere with the acquisition of correct scientific information (e.g., heavier objects fall faster than light ones). Across two experiments, we examined the additive benefit of combining explanations with guided activities to promote conceptual change. In Experiment 1 (