Document Type
Article
Journal/Book Title/Conference
Journal of Educational Research
Volume
103
Issue
6
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Publication Date
2010
First Page
407
Last Page
423
Abstract
Students often hold misconceptions that conflict with scientific explanations. Research has shown that refutation texts are effective for facilitating conceptual change in these cases (Guzzetti, Snyder, Glass, & Gamas, 1993). The process through which refutation texts have their effect is not clear. The authors replicated and extended previous research investigating cognitive processes involved in the refutation text effect. Undergraduates read either a refutation or an expository text on seasonal change. Individual reading times were recorded. Participants’ conceptions were measured at pretest, posttest, and delayed posttest. Results showed that readers spent less time reading the refutation paragraph compared to the expository paragraph. The refutation text group had fewer misconceptions at posttest. These findings suggest that refutation text processing differences mirror similar findings in the attention literature, which may account for their effectiveness.
Recommended Citation
Broughton, S. H., Sinatra, G. M., & Reynolds R. E. (in press). The nature of the refutation text effect: An investigation of attention allocation. The Journal of Educational Research.
Comments
Originally published by Taylor & Francis. Full text purchasing and subscription options available here. Author's preprint available for download.