UNDERGROUND RIVERS IN OHIO? A NARRATIVE, CURRERE JOURNEY EXPLORING ALTERNATIVE CONCEPTIONS IN THE GEOSCIENCES

Students arrive in K-12 classrooms with "alternative conceptions" about content and processes in the physical sciences and geosciences. Researchers have identified and studied students’ scientific misconceptions with the intent of developing, delivering, and disseminating conceptual change instruction. More recent research suggests the idea that scientific misconceptions are aligned to the “deficit model of thinking” [the belief the public and/or students lack information and understanding that diverts attention away from what they do comprehend] (Crowther & Price, 2014). Conceptual change instruction optimally should employ what people understand and subsequently build upon this knowledge to advance geoscience literacy. Constructivism empowers learners to iteratively build upon "alternative conceptions" to master geoscience content. This oral presentation explores "alternative conceptions" in the physical sciences and geosciences by using Pinar’s (1975) “Method of Currere,” autobiographical storytelling, narrative “curriculum fragments” (Poetter, 2017) collected by the author, and data collected at the Ohio Geological Survey regarding the public’s geoscience "alternative conceptions." The stories are accessible for both professors and high school students.