ERIC Number: EJ1046148
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013-Nov
Pages: 5
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0036-8555
EISSN: N/A
Rethinking Failure
Fouché, Jaunine
Science Teacher, v80 n8 p45-49 Nov 2013
Which is better--telling high school students they are wrong, or letting them figure it out for themselves? Research supports the latter. In other words, do nit short-circuit students; struggles to achieve understanding as they grapple with their own beliefs. Removing that struggle may deny students the mechanism they need to replace their alternate or naïve conceptions with more accurate mental models (Bransford et al. 2000; Kapur 2008). Instead, let students experience being wrong within the confines of a supportive classroom so they can confront these beliefs themselves (Kapur 2010). This article describes how the author uses constructivist-oriented and inquiry-centered strategies to validate the use of productive failure. The strategy will help students develop the healthy skepticism that is part of scientific practice.
Descriptors: Academic Failure, Constructivism (Learning), Inquiry, Educational Strategies, Change Agents, Learner Controlled Instruction, Case Studies, Psychological Patterns, Formative Evaluation, Class Activities, Science Education, Physics, High School Students
National Science Teachers Association. 1840 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201-3000. Tel: 800-722-6782; Fax: 703-243-3924; e-mail: membership@nsta.org; Web site: http://www.nsta.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A