Misconceptions in Physics Education from Childhood to Teacher Preparation: Evidence, Pedagogical Strategies, And Research Gaps
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65150/EP-gjefm/V2E6/2026-02Keywords:
physics education, misconceptions, conceptual change, teacher educationAbstract
Misconceptions in physics are persistent explanatory systems that develop in early infancy and can continue through primary, secondary, university and teacher education. These intuitive ideas often co-exist with scientific concepts, rather than being automatically replaced by formal instruction, resulting in fragmented or context-dependent understanding that can be revealed when learners are presented with problems, they are not familiar with, or when they are asked to explain, rather than just calculate. This narrative review integrates the recent work on genesis, maintenance, diagnosis and evolution of misunderstandings across levels of education and core physics topics, including mechanics, thermal phenomena, energy, electromagnetism and beginning Einsteinian physics. It studies the part played by perceptual experience, daily language, the ordering of instruction, and assessment systems which frequently reward procedural fluency rather than conceptual reasoning in the development of misunderstandings. The paper also examines instructional strategies that can assist conceptual transformation, including hands-on and virtual experimentation, guided inquiry, analogical reasoning, diagnostic assessment, and digital or AI-supported learning aids. Three themes are particularly salient across the literature: the necessity to elicit and challenge learners’ current beliefs; the importance of cohesive conceptual development across courses; and the centrality of instructors as facilitators of conceptual change. Key research needs include the need for longitudinal studies, delayed and transfer-based assessments of conceptual change, and a more in-depth examination of teacher education as a site for conceptual transformation. Overall, the research contends that sustained conceptual comprehension in physics requires conceptually purposeful instruction, evaluation that rewards explanation, and teacher training that clearly tackles misconceptions.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Konstantinos T. Kotsis (Author)
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