Research School Network: How can we avoid misconceptions in lower school science?


How can we avoid misconceptions in lower school science?

by Greenshaw Research School
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It can be a joy to teach lower school science. You have the perfect opportunity to enthuse and inspire the next generation of young scientists and to maintain their interest as they progress through school.

For many years, though, where recruitment into science is often challenging, it has been commonplace for science departments to have teachers teaching outside of their specialism, particularly at Key Stage 3. Where teachers are not fully conversant in the subject matter, this has the potential for significant misconceptions to become embedded in students’ minds, making it difficult to unpick later on.

When teaching GCSE Biology, for instance, I have lost count of the number of times I have seen a student respond with the brain of the cell’ in response to the question describe the function of the nucleus.’ The students have not invented this response; they most likely had it explained to them at some stage in their science education, possibly by a teacher without the necessary expertise to offer a more accurate explanation. Yet, in truth, it is not too tricky to explain how the nucleus controls the cell and contains the genetic material.

GCSE Biology examiner reports have also noted this misconception. [1]:

Some students are still referring to the nucleus as the brain of the cell’ which does not adequately describe the function of the nucleus and others stated that it contained protons and neutrons implying some confusion with their learning in chemistry.”

Another biology example is writing ‘+ energy’ on the right side of the word equation for aerobic respiration, which incorrectly implies that energy can be created. [2] As with the example above, this misconception can simply be avoided by not including this in the equation when it is first taught in Year 8 or 9. Instead, students could write a note underneath the equation to say that energy is released.

But it is not just at KS3 where misconceptions can be planted. In GCSE Chemistry, we often teach our students that the maximum number of electrons in the first shell is two and the maximum number of electrons in all of the shells thereafter is eight.’ This may cause confusion when students study A Level Chemistry because, for example, the shell can fit up to 10 electrons.

This problem has been noted in awarding body delivery guides. [3]:

Within this one model of the atom viewpoint students may also have developed school based misconceptions of the positioning of electrons within that structure based on the simplified model taught at GCSE this will include ideas such as the solar system perception of electron structure.”


As with the examples from KS3, this misconception can easily be rectified by teaching the students that the GCSE explanation applies to all elements up to calcium which has the electronic configuration of 2,8,8,2.

When teaching the topic of weight, mass and gravity, I always remember the jaw-dropping moment when I was a Year 8 student and our physics teacher (Mr Murphy @jm8997) taught us that gravity is not a force.’ This was in response to the whole class answering gravity’ to the downwards arrow in a parachutist in a class test.

I remember very clearly that in primary school we were taught gravity was a force. If it wasn’t for this secondary clarification, I might have been one of the students that labelled the diagram as gravity’ rather than the correct answer of weight’ as the force. This also links to students incorrectly using the term weight’ when they mean to say mass.’ [4].

This has been noted in GCSE Physics examiner reports. [5]:

Gravity appeared quite often as the label for the weight arrow.”


Fortunately, there are many strategies and resources that we can draw upon and share with less experienced colleagues – particularly lower down the school where the problem is arguably more pronounced – to help reduce the likelihood of giving students misconceptions:

Examiner reports: Science teachers to regularly refer to examiner reports and pick out the key misconceptions and ensure these are addressed. Heads of Science to ensure that there are clear opportunities and time for this in schemes of work.

Transition networking: Establish clear links between feeder primary school science co-ordinators and the KS3 Science Co-ordinator so that expectations of students’ science knowledge, understanding and skills from Year 6 to Year 7 can be accurately determined.

Stop and think: Before simplifying content for lower school students, think carefully about how this can be simplified without indirectly teaching a misconception, which may hinder the students’ conceptual development further down the line.

Dedicated CPD sessions: Have subject specialists deliver misconception-specific training for all colleagues at regular intervals in the department’s CPD calendar. This enables a safe space for non-specialists to seek clarification.

Topic learning journeys: Take each topic, such as cells in biology, and ensure that all science teachers are aware of what students have already covered (such as in primary school or in KS3 science) and what they will progress onto at a later point (such as in A Level Biology) within the topic.

Develop the use of hinge questions: These are effective to determine whether students have a misconception in a particular concept by giving clear multiple choice options with some of the distractors (the incorrect responses) being the misconception that we would like students to avoid. Students’ responses can then be unpicked with further discussion or adaptations to teaching, as necessary. These can be introduced as early as in primary school science. [6].

Plan opportunities to discuss students’ preconceptions: Work through examples of misconceptions with students. An example could be that students may think that a liquid can be compressed. Explaining, by attempting to squash an empty plastic bottle with one full of liquid, could aid this, for example. [7]

Robert Brooks is the Lead Practitioner for Science at Greenshaw High School. @ScienceLP

[1] Edexcel, 2014. Results Plus Examiners’ Report, June 2014, GCSE Biology, 5BI2F 01. [online] Edexcel. Available at: https://qualifications.pearson.com/content/dam/pdf/GCSE/Science/2011/Exam%20materials/Examiner-report-Unit-2F-June-2014.pdf
[Accessed 21 October 2020].

[2] Scott, C., 2005. Misconceptions about Aerobic and Anaerobic Energy Expenditure. J Int Soc Sports Nutr, [online] 2(2), pp.32 – 37. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2129144/
[Accessed 21 October 2020].

[3] OCR, 2015. AS Level Delivery Guide H032 Chemistry A, Theme: Atoms And Equations. [online] OCR. Available at: https://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/208649-atoms-and-equations.pdf
[Accessed 21 October 2020].

[4] OCR, 2020. GCSE (91) Specification Gateway Science Combined Science A. [online] OCR. Available at: https://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/234596-specification-accredited-gcse-gateway-science-suite-combined-science-a-j250.pdf
[Accessed 21 October 2020].

[5] OCR, 2018. Examiners’ Report, TWENTY FIRST CENTURY SCIENCE COMBINED SCIENCE B. [online] OCR. Available at: http://ocr.org.uk/Images/538107-examiners-report-physics.pdf
[Accessed 21 October 2020].

[6] Coupland, L., 2019. Differentiation In The Classroom: Breaking Away From Ability Groups. [online] Association for Science Education. Available at: https://www.ase.org.uk/system/files/11 – 13_3.pdf [Accessed 21 October 2020].

[7] Holman, J. and Yeomans, E., n.d. Improving Secondary Science Guidance Report. [online] Education Endowment Foundation. Available at: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/public/files/Publications/Science/EEF_improving_secondary_science.pdf
[Accessed 21 October 2020].

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