Misconceptions

This was an interesting article. First, I think it a little problematic to do a study on misconceptions based on interview answers. Students may experience discomfort/anxiety in that sort of setting, which could significantly vary the results. I also think 184 students is a very small sample size for this type of investigation. They only spoke with 30-55 kids per age level. I do appreciate that students were asked follow up questions based on their initial response, but again this could cause discrepencies. For example, in the sample questions given on page 2 (66), the researcher follows up the students response, "This object will float because it is made of wood." with "Does wood always float?" The second question implies that the student's initial response was wrong and could cause higher anxiety in the student, or cause the student to guess or "fish for" the "correct" answer that the researching is looking for.
I think the issue being researched is an important one. As the author points out, it's apparent that the material is not being retained by students, and also clear that text books are not providing adequate coverage of content.
Despite the flaws I saw in the study, I agree with the researchers' conclusions. It is greatly beneficial for teachers to learn to recognize and prevent misconceptions. I've had some other teacher education classes that put an emphasis on common student errors and how to acknowledge and correct or prevent them. This part of a teacher education program is crucial in producing effective teachers.