Process, progression and strategies : a three-step approach to promote understanding of scientific concepts
Despite the fact that students’ difficulties in science vary, most of them seem related to misunderstandings of basic science concepts. Over the last twenty years, various investigations have attempted to find solutions to this problem, resulting in the multiplication of advice for science teaching. In order to integrate various research results and following a review of the literature, we propose a schema of the understanding process of scientific concepts. With the help of this schema, one may be able to, not only describe the many paths learners can take in their attempt to get a better understanding of science, but also choose teaching strategies that help them to do so.