The following article addresses “the importance of wrongness” and why it is our duty as educators to understand our students’ thought processes, especially when they’re incorrect:
Why Teachers Need To Know The Wrong Answers (nprEd) – opens in a new tab
Sadler says that cognitive science tells us that if you don’t understand the flaws in students’ reasoning, you’re not going to be able to dislodge their misconceptions and replace them with the correct concepts.
“It’s very expensive in terms of mental effort to change the ideas that you come up with yourself,” Sadler says. “It’s a big investment to say, ‘I’m going to abandon this thing that I came up with that makes sense to me and believe what the book or the teacher says instead.’ “
As an online tutor, how could understanding and addressing incorrect ideas be more helpful than simply focusing on the solution? In what ways might this practice benefit the student long-term?
What are some common student misconceptions you see in your subject area?
Read the article and share your thoughts below!
— Team Yup