“Is heat hot?” Inducing conceptual change by integrating everyday and scientific perspectives on thermal phenomena

An account of conceptual change within the domain of thermal physics is described. In particular, the difficulties of inducing an ontological change in studentsʹ concept of heat is examined. While the overall goal of this research is to document microgenetically the process of conceptual change that takes place as students learn thermal physics, this paper describes the specific role of metaconceptual teaching. It is argued that metaconceptual teaching that addresses the fact that students and scientists may use the same terms for different conceptual referents and that scientific conceptions can account for everyday ones, helps to effect the targeted ontological changes. The pedagogical success of integrating the scientific and the everyday view is consistent with young adolescentsʹ difficulties with a relativistic epistemology in which scientific and everyday views are presented as valid alternatives.