I can live with doubt and uncertainty and not knowing. I think it is much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers that might be wrong. – Richard Feynman

What are misconceptions?
Concepts can be considered as ideas, objects, or events that help us understand the world around us. Misconceptions, on the other hand, can be described as ideas that provide an incorrect understanding of concepts, and are constructed based on a person’s experience or hearsay. A misconception once formed is extremely difficult to change and in case of students possessing misconceptions it can be a serious impact on their learning.

Misconceptions everywhere

Environmental science

• Phases of the moon are caused by the shadow of the earth on the moon.
• Sky is blue because it reflects the colour of the sea.

Physics

• Things float if they are light and sink if they are heavy.
• Magnets don’t repel or attract in space.

Biology

• Plants “breathe in” carbon dioxide and “breathe out” oxygen during day time
• Girls inherit most of their characteristics from their mothers. Boys inherit most of their characteristics from their fathers.

The article has been contributed by Butterfly Fields, a company working in the domain of innovative teaching-learning techniques. To know more about the work the company does, visit www.butterflyfields.com or call 040 2771 1020.

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