False alarming, or detecting an error when there is not one, is a pervasive problem across numerous industries. The present study investigated the role of elaboration, or additional information about non-error differences in complex visual displays, for mitigating false error responding. In Experiment 1, learners studied errors and non-error…

Statement-verification studies indicate the coexistence of intuitive conceptions and scientific concepts within learners. The underlying assumption is that the intuitive conceptions typically built in childhood never disappear, but are co-activated with scientific concepts when we face relevant situations. This is visible in increased reaction…

Visual representations in molecular biology tend to follow a set of shared conventions for using certain shapes and symbols to convey information about the size and structure of nucleotides, genes, and chromosomes. Understanding how and why biologists use these conventions to represent DNA is a key part of visual literacy in molecular biology.…

The understanding mathematical concept is an error that often occurs in classroom learning among students when solving mathematical problems. The most difficult part for students is solving problems, because it requires numeracy skills, high concept mastery, as well as the ability to use good language, and so on so that students don't make any…

This paper reports on concept images of 38 secondary school mathematics prospective teachers, regarding the evenness of numbers. Written assignments, individual interviews, and lesson transcripts uncover salient, erroneous concept images of even numbers as numbers that are two times "something" (i.e., "2i" is an even number),…

This study aims to evaluate cognitive conflict in constructing mathematical concepts, based on thinking errors. The data were collected through observations of words or sentences, leading to the derivation of qualitative outputs. Furthermore, the results showed that the two selected subjects experienced cognitive conflicts regarding thinking…

Electricity and magnetism are fundamental areas of physics and are integral to science curricula at various educational levels. However, this area has been reported to contain several concepts that students find challenging, leading to perspectives that diverge from scientifically accepted views. This study examines the errors made by physics…

Persistent difficulties in learning abstract algebraic concepts--particularly among preservice mathematics teachers--continue to hinder students' mathematical development. While prior studies have documented general misconceptions, few have grounded their analysis in comprehensive learning theories. Addressing this gap, the present study adopts…

Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) is an emerging and widely implemented remedial educational approach that is currently being piloted in many countries. Morocco has been experimenting with this approach since the 2022-2023 school year. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of using the TARL approach as a remedial model in addressing…

Sequence stratigraphic and Wheeler diagram interpretations require a strong combination of conceptual understanding and diagram reasoning skills. Students are generally exposed to the foundational concepts within sequence stratigraphy (relative sea level, eustasy, base level, and accommodation) in a variety of courses along their degree path,…

This study presents the development and validation of a novel multiple-choice test designed to assess university students' conceptual understanding of electric field, force, and flux. The test of understanding of electric field, force, and flux was constructed based on the results of previous studies using a phenomenographic approach to classify…

In this paper, we seek to evaluate the extent to which students can follow a deductive reasoning chain when it is presented to them. A great deal of instruction in introductory physics courses is centered on presenting students with a logical argument that starts from first principles and systematically leads to a particular conclusion. This…

Programming skills are increasingly important to the current digital economy, yet these skills have long been regarded as challenging to acquire. A central challenge in learning programming skills involves the simultaneous use of multiple component skills. This article investigates why students struggle with integrating component skills--a…

Background: Engineering students commonly learn domain knowledge by engaging with visual representations of it. However, at times they have trouble accessing information from these representations due to the way information is encoded in features of the representation. Purpose: To describe how students engage with representation features, we…

Presenting novel numbers about climate change to people after they estimate those numbers can shift their attitudes and scientific conceptions. Prior research suggests that such science learning can be supported by encouraging learners to make use of given benchmark information, however there are several other numerical estimation skills that may…