Troublesome knowledge and threshold concepts

The aim of this study was to tackle the problems students have in developing an understanding of certain scientific concepts.

This project details the findings from a previous study, which looked at the feasibility of identifying ‘troublesome knowledge and threshold concepts’ within undergraduate science subjects. Methods used to investigate student understanding and the characteristics of troublesome knowledge and threshold concepts were investigated. This small scale project focused on the understanding of Newtonian mechanics in a group of Level 1 physics students at Nottingham Trent University. Evidence of a number of misconceptions held by the students was identified along with matches to the descriptions of troublesome knowledge and threshold concepts.

Despite the complexities and limits of small scale educational research, it was possible to gain an understanding of why certain concepts are difficult to grasp.

This project was carried out as part of the Post Graduate Diploma in Research Informed Teaching.