This research will explore the implications of the "naive theory" view for the teaching of thermal physics. The main questions to be addressed concern how to promote theory change. The investigator will focus on three factors: (1) making the textbook theory intelligible in spite of students' misconceptions; (2) providing students with metaconceptual understanding of the nature of scientific knowledge; and (3) designing the curriculum taking into account the process of differentiation itself. Given that the differentiation appears to proceed in specific stages the curricular sequence should be chosen to optimize the transition from one stage to the next. Two classroom studies (Studies 1 and 4) explore the use of multiple computer-implemented, interactive, visual models in making the textbook theory accessible to ninth graders by comparing a model-based curriculum to a more standard one based on the laws from experimental and problem-solving applying the newly learned laws. Study 4 also examines the effect of metaconceptual knowledge on the reconceptualization at the content level. Two studies (Studies 2 and 3) explore the process of differentiation induced by a computer model in individual students over a one-month period. The project will develop prototype teaching materials (software, curriculum and a teacher guide) based on these models.
