Synthesis of research on conceptual change in the social sciences
A key motivation for research on learning and conceptual change in social science was summarised by Carretero & Voss in 1994. Their argument has two main propositions. Firstly, effective functioning and development of democratic society require an electorate, which has a working understanding of the economic, political and sociological dynamics of their world. Secondly, for educators to play a valuable role in improving voters' understanding, teachers need a working knowledge of the range of students' prior conceptions and nature of the conceptual change for which they are aiming. In the 20 years since Carretero and Voss published their edited volume, conceptual change in social science has remained an under researched field in comparison to the many studies on student learning in natural science and mathematics.
This project will develop, enhance and strengthen the research field of conceptual change in the social sciences by summarising empirical findings from the last 5 years along with current studies. Generating a better theoretical understating of students' learning processes in general and in these domains in particular is important for the research field but also of significance for educators and teacher education.
The field and research community on conceptual change and learning in the social sciences is still small. Hence, international collaborations that can be developed and established are of great importance.
This project will develop, enhance and strengthen the research field of conceptual change in the social sciences by summarising empirical findings from the last 5 years along with current studies. Generating a better theoretical understating of students' learning processes in general and in these domains in particular is important for the research field but also of significance for educators and teacher education.
The field and research community on conceptual change and learning in the social sciences is still small. Hence, international collaborations that can be developed and established are of great importance.
Final report
1. Most important results of the project and publications
The most important results are publications concerning social science knowledge, learning and the relation to pro-environmental behaviour (Ekström and Lundholm, 2020; Lundholm, 2019, 2020; Torbjörnsson and Lundholm, 2019) and collaboration with colleagues at UCLA, USC and Florida Atlantic University on future research projects.
The aim of the project was to summarise empirical research on conceptual change in the social sciences and a chapter was published in 2018 (Lundholm, 2018). The chapter describes the conceptual change process in terms of coming to a scientific understanding which means actively creating relationships between a meta level, conceptual and empirical level, of a discipline. The chapter also addresses emotional and social aspects of conceptual change and concludes that further research is needed which also brings into focus epistemological dimensions (see also Arrhenius, Bladh and Lundholm, accepted; Ekström and Lundholm 2020).
The initial focus of the project on synthesising conceptual change in the social sciences was accomplished (Lundholm, 2018) but further work in this area was not possible as my contact at UCLA moved to Berkeley University in 2018. Instead I collaborated with professor William Sandoval, UCLA, on social science knowledge and climate change education and the work has been rewarding, including plans for future collaboration.
Publications
I was asked by the editor of Environmental Education Research to write an editorial – looking back at 25 years of research on climate and environmental education – and looking ahead (Lundholm, 2019). The article summarises empirical research I have conducted with colleagues on social science knowledge and its impact on pro-environmental behaviour such as support for climate taxation. I highlight the need to look at multiple relationships (individual-society-environment in a triad) in future research and the importance for researchers to engage with disciplines outside of education such as economics, law, political science and psychology.
I also worked on articles that have been published/accepted on learning, values and conceptions of science in political science and economics. Ekström and Lundholm (2020) present findings of students' conceptions of values and impartiality in political science teaching in relation to research on epistemic beliefs. This field of research concerns students' beliefs about the nature of knowledge in different disciplines; beliefs that are central to learning disciplinary knowledge. Results show that students give contradicting answers regarding values and impartiality in political science teaching. They oscillate between different epistemic beliefs and they have an unclear understanding of the nature of knowledge in the discipline. Questions on the nature and limits of knowledge therefore need to be prioritized in political science education. If students are to become literate within their field, they need to become aware of the multiple epistemological underpinnings inherent in the discipline, and the ways these influence the discipline.
Interviews with economics students were analysed concerning their conceptions and experiences of values in teaching environmental polices (Lundholm, accepted). Results show that students find teachers impartial but also perceive policies in terms of left/right politics and value laden. Students further find environmental policies to be an important topic and knowledge to possess concerning solutions to climate and environmental problems.
Finally, a paper was revised and accepted on students’ conceptions of ‘ownership’ and environmental protection (Torbjörnsson and Lundholm, 2019). Students studying economics, law and political science were chosen because of their potential future transformative roles as decision makers and policy makers. Content analysis was employed to examine the written responses of 747 students from seven different universities to the open-ended survey question: Can ownership rights and environmental protection come into conflict? Students’ responses were measured twice: at the very beginning of the first semester and then again at the end of the semester. Results show that students expressed a dominant view of ownership in terms of individual ownership, and associations to collective ownership were largely absent. In regards to the potential conflict between ownership rights and environmental protection, most students perceived such a conflict, and it was more common for the environment to be conceptualised as the losing party rather than the landowner. The study shows interesting results of changes after one semester as students in economics view the environment as the losing party while students in law decreased their view of the environment as the losing party and also students in political science. More research is needed regarding how teaching and instruction can deal with the potential conflicts between ownership (private/corporate/ governmental) and environmental protection and is of relevance for social science teaching in upper secondary education.
2. Further results
Results from the project are collaborations with professor William Sandoval, UCLA, professor Gale Sinatra, USC and professor William Bosshardt, Florida Atlantic University and are presented below.
- Submitted proposal on workshops to the Research Council for writing research proposals (2021–2022) on social science and climate education.
- Research proposal submitted to Formas; development of climate education which creates motivation, action and interest in societal solutions. Year 6, in Stockholm and LA. Together with prof. Gale Sinatra, University of Southern California.
- Collaboration on symposia proposals to be submitted in the fall to the EARLI conference in 2021.
Professor William Bosshardt is Professor of Economics and Director of the FAU Center for Economic Education at Florida Atlantic University. Bosshardt has published articles in leading economics journals dealing with the effectiveness of economics and personal finance education and teaches environmental economics at Florida Atlantic University. He recently developed a series of high school lessons plans in environmental economics for the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. https://business.fau.edu/faculty-research/faculty-profiles/profile/wbosshar.php
Professor William Sandoval, Department of Education, University of California, Los Angeles, specialised in science and climate change education. Sandoval’s research concerns how students may come to understand school science in ways that help them engage with science in everyday life and focused on students’ ideas about the features of persuasive scientific arguments. Work is conducted in the mode of educational design research as a means to improve practice and develop situated learning theory. Sandoval is engaged in the Environmental and Climate Change Literacy Project in California ECCLPS. https://gseis.ucla.edu/directory/william-sandoval/
Professor Gale Sinatra, Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California, is renowned for her research on the roles of emotion and motivation, particularly controversial topics like climate change. Sinatra’s area of research explores cognitive, motivational, and emotional barriers to promoting conceptual change and the ways students think about science. https://rossier.usc.edu/faculty-and-research/directories/a-z/profile/?id=35
3. New research questions
New research question which have been incorporated in research proposals to the Research Council and Formas:
- How can instruction in social science be designed on climate solutions and key concepts (externalities, environmental costs) and policies (taxes, subsidies and legislation)? Year 6 and 9.
- How can instruction in social science be designed that develops media competence and societal interest? Upper secondary education, vocational programs.
- How can climate education which creates motivation and interest in societal solutions be designed? Year 6. Together with prof. Gale Sinatra, University of Southern California.
- How can instruction in journalism education be deigned that develops students’ knowledge about climate change and knowledge on to present climate change to the public? (Together with prof. Anna Roosvall, Dep. of media studies/Stockholm University).
4. Dissemination of findings and cooperation
Published articles have been presented on the website at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences Education, Stockholm University.
Ekström, L. & C. Lundholm (2020). ‘How much politics is there?’ Exploring students’ views on values and impartiality in political science from an epistemic cognition perspective. Journal of Political Science Education.
https://www.su.se/hsd/publikationer/nya-publikationer/uppfattar-studenter-undervisning-i-statsvetenskap-som-politisk-1.489522
Lundholm, C. (2019). Where to look and what to do? Blank and bright spots in research on environmental and climate change education. Editorial. Environmental Education Research. 25(10):1427–1437.
https://www.su.se/hsd/publikationer/nya-publikationer/ny-artikel-professor-cecilia-lundholm-har-publicerat-i-eer-1.478996
1000 viewers
Torbjörnsson, T. & Lundholm, C. (2019). Potential conflicts between ownership rights and environmental protection: Swedish undergraduate students’ views. Environmental Education Research.
https://www.su.se/hsd/publikationer/nya-publikationer/cecilia-lundholm-publicerar-artikel-i-eer-1.460278
Publications are opens access and also presented and available on https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Cecilia_Lundholm2
Interview
Results are presented in an interview at Stockholm University published November 22, 2019. Samhällskunskapslärare viktiga för elevers miljöhandlingar.
5. List of publications and link to personal websites
(*) Open access
Articles
Arrhenius, M., Lundholm, C. and G. Bladh (accepted). Swedish 12–13-year-old students’ conceptions of the causes and processes forming eskers and erratics. Journal of Geoscience Education.
* Ekström, L. & C. Lundholm (2020). ‘How much politics is there?’ Exploring students’ views on values and impartiality in political science from an epistemic cognition perspective. Journal of Political Science Education. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15512169.2020.1730863
* Jägerskog, A-S, Davies, P., & C. Lundholm (2019). Students’ understanding of causation in pricing: a phenomenographic analysis. Journal of Social Science Education. https://www.jsse.org/index.php/jsse/article/view/1421
* Lundholm, C. (2019). Where to look and what to do? Blank and bright spots in research on environmental and climate change education. Editorial. Environmental Education Research. 25(10):1427–1437. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13504622.2019.1700066
Lofthouse, R., Greenway, C., Davies, P., Davies, D. & C. Lundholm (accepted). Pre-service teachers’ conceptions of their own learning: does context make a difference? Research Papers in Education.
* Torbjörnsson, T. & Lundholm, C. (2019). Potential conflicts between ownership rights and environmental protection: Swedish undergraduate students’ views. Environmental Education Research. https://www-tandfonline-https://www-tandfonline-com.ezp.sub.su.se/doi/full/10.1080/13504622.2019.1677860
Conference papers
Lundholm, C. (accepted). Are policies controversial? Exploring students’ views in economics on impartiality, values, political controversy and knowledge for environmental change. Nordic Conference in Social Studies Didactics, October 5–7, 2020, Vasa, Finland.
Lundholm, C. (accepted). Are policies controversial? Exploring students’ views in economics on impartiality, values, political controversy and knowledge for environmental change. 12th International Conference on Conceptual Change, June 25-27, 2020, Zwolle, Netherlands.
Book chapter
Lundholm, C. (2018). Conceptual change and the complexity of learning. In T. Amin & O. Levrini (Eds.). Converging Perspectives on Conceptual Change. Mapping an Emerging Paradigm in the Learning Sciences. (pp. 34-42). London: Routledge.
Personal websites
https://www.su.se/profiles/ceci-1.190497
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Cecilia_Lundholm2
The most important results are publications concerning social science knowledge, learning and the relation to pro-environmental behaviour (Ekström and Lundholm, 2020; Lundholm, 2019, 2020; Torbjörnsson and Lundholm, 2019) and collaboration with colleagues at UCLA, USC and Florida Atlantic University on future research projects.
The aim of the project was to summarise empirical research on conceptual change in the social sciences and a chapter was published in 2018 (Lundholm, 2018). The chapter describes the conceptual change process in terms of coming to a scientific understanding which means actively creating relationships between a meta level, conceptual and empirical level, of a discipline. The chapter also addresses emotional and social aspects of conceptual change and concludes that further research is needed which also brings into focus epistemological dimensions (see also Arrhenius, Bladh and Lundholm, accepted; Ekström and Lundholm 2020).
The initial focus of the project on synthesising conceptual change in the social sciences was accomplished (Lundholm, 2018) but further work in this area was not possible as my contact at UCLA moved to Berkeley University in 2018. Instead I collaborated with professor William Sandoval, UCLA, on social science knowledge and climate change education and the work has been rewarding, including plans for future collaboration.
Publications
I was asked by the editor of Environmental Education Research to write an editorial – looking back at 25 years of research on climate and environmental education – and looking ahead (Lundholm, 2019). The article summarises empirical research I have conducted with colleagues on social science knowledge and its impact on pro-environmental behaviour such as support for climate taxation. I highlight the need to look at multiple relationships (individual-society-environment in a triad) in future research and the importance for researchers to engage with disciplines outside of education such as economics, law, political science and psychology.
I also worked on articles that have been published/accepted on learning, values and conceptions of science in political science and economics. Ekström and Lundholm (2020) present findings of students' conceptions of values and impartiality in political science teaching in relation to research on epistemic beliefs. This field of research concerns students' beliefs about the nature of knowledge in different disciplines; beliefs that are central to learning disciplinary knowledge. Results show that students give contradicting answers regarding values and impartiality in political science teaching. They oscillate between different epistemic beliefs and they have an unclear understanding of the nature of knowledge in the discipline. Questions on the nature and limits of knowledge therefore need to be prioritized in political science education. If students are to become literate within their field, they need to become aware of the multiple epistemological underpinnings inherent in the discipline, and the ways these influence the discipline.
Interviews with economics students were analysed concerning their conceptions and experiences of values in teaching environmental polices (Lundholm, accepted). Results show that students find teachers impartial but also perceive policies in terms of left/right politics and value laden. Students further find environmental policies to be an important topic and knowledge to possess concerning solutions to climate and environmental problems.
Finally, a paper was revised and accepted on students’ conceptions of ‘ownership’ and environmental protection (Torbjörnsson and Lundholm, 2019). Students studying economics, law and political science were chosen because of their potential future transformative roles as decision makers and policy makers. Content analysis was employed to examine the written responses of 747 students from seven different universities to the open-ended survey question: Can ownership rights and environmental protection come into conflict? Students’ responses were measured twice: at the very beginning of the first semester and then again at the end of the semester. Results show that students expressed a dominant view of ownership in terms of individual ownership, and associations to collective ownership were largely absent. In regards to the potential conflict between ownership rights and environmental protection, most students perceived such a conflict, and it was more common for the environment to be conceptualised as the losing party rather than the landowner. The study shows interesting results of changes after one semester as students in economics view the environment as the losing party while students in law decreased their view of the environment as the losing party and also students in political science. More research is needed regarding how teaching and instruction can deal with the potential conflicts between ownership (private/corporate/ governmental) and environmental protection and is of relevance for social science teaching in upper secondary education.
2. Further results
Results from the project are collaborations with professor William Sandoval, UCLA, professor Gale Sinatra, USC and professor William Bosshardt, Florida Atlantic University and are presented below.
- Submitted proposal on workshops to the Research Council for writing research proposals (2021–2022) on social science and climate education.
- Research proposal submitted to Formas; development of climate education which creates motivation, action and interest in societal solutions. Year 6, in Stockholm and LA. Together with prof. Gale Sinatra, University of Southern California.
- Collaboration on symposia proposals to be submitted in the fall to the EARLI conference in 2021.
Professor William Bosshardt is Professor of Economics and Director of the FAU Center for Economic Education at Florida Atlantic University. Bosshardt has published articles in leading economics journals dealing with the effectiveness of economics and personal finance education and teaches environmental economics at Florida Atlantic University. He recently developed a series of high school lessons plans in environmental economics for the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. https://business.fau.edu/faculty-research/faculty-profiles/profile/wbosshar.php
Professor William Sandoval, Department of Education, University of California, Los Angeles, specialised in science and climate change education. Sandoval’s research concerns how students may come to understand school science in ways that help them engage with science in everyday life and focused on students’ ideas about the features of persuasive scientific arguments. Work is conducted in the mode of educational design research as a means to improve practice and develop situated learning theory. Sandoval is engaged in the Environmental and Climate Change Literacy Project in California ECCLPS. https://gseis.ucla.edu/directory/william-sandoval/
Professor Gale Sinatra, Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California, is renowned for her research on the roles of emotion and motivation, particularly controversial topics like climate change. Sinatra’s area of research explores cognitive, motivational, and emotional barriers to promoting conceptual change and the ways students think about science. https://rossier.usc.edu/faculty-and-research/directories/a-z/profile/?id=35
3. New research questions
New research question which have been incorporated in research proposals to the Research Council and Formas:
- How can instruction in social science be designed on climate solutions and key concepts (externalities, environmental costs) and policies (taxes, subsidies and legislation)? Year 6 and 9.
- How can instruction in social science be designed that develops media competence and societal interest? Upper secondary education, vocational programs.
- How can climate education which creates motivation and interest in societal solutions be designed? Year 6. Together with prof. Gale Sinatra, University of Southern California.
- How can instruction in journalism education be deigned that develops students’ knowledge about climate change and knowledge on to present climate change to the public? (Together with prof. Anna Roosvall, Dep. of media studies/Stockholm University).
4. Dissemination of findings and cooperation
Published articles have been presented on the website at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences Education, Stockholm University.
Ekström, L. & C. Lundholm (2020). ‘How much politics is there?’ Exploring students’ views on values and impartiality in political science from an epistemic cognition perspective. Journal of Political Science Education.
https://www.su.se/hsd/publikationer/nya-publikationer/uppfattar-studenter-undervisning-i-statsvetenskap-som-politisk-1.489522
Lundholm, C. (2019). Where to look and what to do? Blank and bright spots in research on environmental and climate change education. Editorial. Environmental Education Research. 25(10):1427–1437.
https://www.su.se/hsd/publikationer/nya-publikationer/ny-artikel-professor-cecilia-lundholm-har-publicerat-i-eer-1.478996
1000 viewers
Torbjörnsson, T. & Lundholm, C. (2019). Potential conflicts between ownership rights and environmental protection: Swedish undergraduate students’ views. Environmental Education Research.
https://www.su.se/hsd/publikationer/nya-publikationer/cecilia-lundholm-publicerar-artikel-i-eer-1.460278
Publications are opens access and also presented and available on https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Cecilia_Lundholm2
Interview
Results are presented in an interview at Stockholm University published November 22, 2019. Samhällskunskapslärare viktiga för elevers miljöhandlingar.
5. List of publications and link to personal websites
(*) Open access
Articles
Arrhenius, M., Lundholm, C. and G. Bladh (accepted). Swedish 12–13-year-old students’ conceptions of the causes and processes forming eskers and erratics. Journal of Geoscience Education.
* Ekström, L. & C. Lundholm (2020). ‘How much politics is there?’ Exploring students’ views on values and impartiality in political science from an epistemic cognition perspective. Journal of Political Science Education. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15512169.2020.1730863
* Jägerskog, A-S, Davies, P., & C. Lundholm (2019). Students’ understanding of causation in pricing: a phenomenographic analysis. Journal of Social Science Education. https://www.jsse.org/index.php/jsse/article/view/1421
* Lundholm, C. (2019). Where to look and what to do? Blank and bright spots in research on environmental and climate change education. Editorial. Environmental Education Research. 25(10):1427–1437. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13504622.2019.1700066
Lofthouse, R., Greenway, C., Davies, P., Davies, D. & C. Lundholm (accepted). Pre-service teachers’ conceptions of their own learning: does context make a difference? Research Papers in Education.
* Torbjörnsson, T. & Lundholm, C. (2019). Potential conflicts between ownership rights and environmental protection: Swedish undergraduate students’ views. Environmental Education Research. https://www-tandfonline-https://www-tandfonline-com.ezp.sub.su.se/doi/full/10.1080/13504622.2019.1677860
Conference papers
Lundholm, C. (accepted). Are policies controversial? Exploring students’ views in economics on impartiality, values, political controversy and knowledge for environmental change. Nordic Conference in Social Studies Didactics, October 5–7, 2020, Vasa, Finland.
Lundholm, C. (accepted). Are policies controversial? Exploring students’ views in economics on impartiality, values, political controversy and knowledge for environmental change. 12th International Conference on Conceptual Change, June 25-27, 2020, Zwolle, Netherlands.
Book chapter
Lundholm, C. (2018). Conceptual change and the complexity of learning. In T. Amin & O. Levrini (Eds.). Converging Perspectives on Conceptual Change. Mapping an Emerging Paradigm in the Learning Sciences. (pp. 34-42). London: Routledge.
Personal websites
https://www.su.se/profiles/ceci-1.190497
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Cecilia_Lundholm2