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Conceptual Profiles

A Theory of Teaching and Learning Scientific Concepts

  • Book
  • © 2014

Overview

Editors:
  1. Eduardo F. Mortimer

    1. Faculty of Education, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil

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  2. Charbel N. El-Hani

    1. Institute of Biology, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil

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    You can also search for this editor in PubMed   Google Scholar

  • Reports the construction of a research program that is responsive to all the main developments in the field of science education
  • Defines the fundamental tasks for founding the conceptual profile research program
  • Positions the learner of science in a place coherent with his/her pluralist condition of belonging to different communities
  • Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Part of the book series: Contemporary Trends and Issues in Science Education (CTISE, volume 42)

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Table of contents (11 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xvii
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  2. Conceptual Profiles: Theoretical, Epistemological, and Methodological Bases of a Research Program

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
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    2. Conceptual Profiles: Theoretical-Methodological Bases of a Research Program

      • Eduardo F. Mortimer, Phil Scott, Edenia Maria Ribeiro do Amaral, Charbel N. El-Hani
      Pages 3-33

    3. The Epistemological Grounds of the Conceptual Profile Theory

      • Charbel N. El-Hani, Waldomiro José da Silva-Filho, Eduardo F. Mortimer
      Pages 35-65

    4. Methodological Grounds of the Conceptual Profile Research Program

      • Eduardo F. Mortimer, Charbel N. El-Hani, Cláudia Sepulveda, Edenia Maria Ribeiro do Amaral, Francisco Ângelo Coutinho, Fábio Augusto Rodrigues e Silva
      Pages 67-100

  3. Empirical Studies for Building and Using Conceptual Profile Models for Chemical, Physical, and Biological Ontoconcepts

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 101-101
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    2. Contributions of the Sociocultural Domain to Build a Conceptual Profile Model for Molecule and Molecular Structure

      • Eduardo F. Mortimer, Luiz Otávio F. Amaral
      Pages 103-114

    3. Building a Profile for the Biological Concept of Life

      • Francisco Ângelo Coutinho, Charbel N. El-Hani, Eduardo F. Mortimer
      Pages 115-142

    4. Investigating the Evolution of Conceptual Profiles of Life Among University Students of Biology and Pharmacy: The Use of Statistical Tools to Analyze Questionnaire Answers

      • Fábio Augusto Rodrigues e Silva, Eduardo F. Mortimer, Francisco Ângelo Coutinho
      Pages 143-162

    5. Conceptual Profile of Adaptation: A Tool to Investigate Evolution Learning in Biology Classrooms

      • Claudia Sepulveda, Eduardo F. Mortimer, Charbel N. El-Hani
      Pages 163-200

    6. A Conceptual Profile of Entropy and Spontaneity: Characterising Modes of Thinking and Ways of Speaking in the Classroom

      • Edenia Maria Ribeiro do Amaral, Eduardo F. Mortimer, Phil Scott
      Pages 201-234

    7. The Implications of the Conceptual Profile in Science Teaching: An Example from a Teaching Sequence in Thermal Physics

      • Orlando G. Aguiar Jr.
      Pages 235-259

  4. Recent Developments in the Research Program

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 261-261
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    2. Conceptual Profile as a Model of a Complex World

      • Cristiano Rodrigues de Mattos
      Pages 263-292

    3. Building a Profile Model for the Concept of Death

      • Aline Andréa Nicolli, Eduardo F. Mortimer
      Pages 293-321

  5. Back Matter

    Pages 323-330
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Keywords

About this book

The language of science has many words and phrases whose meaning either changes in differing contexts or alters to reflect developments in a given discipline. This book presents the authors’ theories on using ‘conceptual profiles’ to make the teaching of context-dependent meanings more effective. Developed over two decades, their theory begins with a recognition of the coexistence in the students’ discourse of those alternative meanings, even in the case of scientific concepts such as molecule, where the dissonance between the classical and modern views of the same phenomenon is an accepted norm. What began as an alternative model of conceptual change has evolved to incorporate a sociocultural approach, by drawing on ideas such as situated cognition and Vygotsky’s influential concept of culturally located learning. Also informed by pragmatist philosophy, the approach has grown into a well-rounded theory of teaching and learning scientific concepts. The authors have taken the opportunity in this book to develop their ideas further, anticipate and respond to criticisms—that of relativism, for example—and explain how their theory can be applied to analyze the teaching of core concepts in science such as heat and temperature, life and biological adaptation. They also report on the implementation of a research program that correlates the responsiveness of their methodology to all the main developments in the field of science education. This additional material will inform academic discussion, review, and further enhancement of their theory and research model.

Reviews

From the reviews:

“Conceptual Profiles: A Theory of Teaching and Learning Scientific Concepts … features a collection of chapters largely drawing from their work and that of colleagues from the collective research program. The chapters examine the state of conceptual learning in different science contexts. … This book may appeal to a variety of audiences. The primary audience is educational researchers interested in science learning. … the studies are thoughtful and well worth a read.” (Gregory J. Kelly, International History, Philosophy and Science Teaching Group IHPST Newsletter, July, 2014)

Editors and Affiliations

  • Faculty of Education, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil

    Eduardo F. Mortimer

  • Institute of Biology, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil

    Charbel N. El-Hani

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