Misconceptions might also be referred to as preconceived notions, non-scientific beliefs, naive theories, mixed conceptions, or conceptual misunderstandings. Basically, in science these are cases in which something a person knows and believes does not match what is known to be scientifically correct.
Most people who hold misconceptions are NOT aware that their ideas are incorrect. When they are simply told they are wrong, they often have a hard time giving up their misconceptions-- especially if they have had a misconception for a long time. Imagine someone telling you your mother was not actually your mother, but your father!
What is especially concerning about misconceptions is that we continue to build knowledge on our current understandings. Possessing misconceptions can have serious impacts on our learning.
Misconceptions form in a variety of ways. Often misconceptions are passed on by one person to the next. In other cases, students may be presented with two correct concepts, but combine or confuse them. Sometimes students make what to them seems like a logical conclusion, but is simply drawn from too little evidence or lack of experience. One of the most common sources of misconceptions is the fact that our everyday language is often at odds with science; common vernacular doesn't always match the precise language used by scientists. While it's perfectly acceptable to say, the toast burned it is highly unlikely a chemist would agree with your observation.
Though the connotation of "misconception" is negative, we must remember that the formation of these ideas often represent a child's effort to organize and understand the world around him/her. The success of these efforts will depend both on the developmental stage of the child and the experiences to which he/she is exposed.
To find out more about how children form misconceptions, consult:
Much research in science education has focused on students' misconceptions about science. While searching through the literature sounds like a great way to spend a Saturday, there are easier ways to locate common misconceptions. The Operations Physics Project has compiled an extensive list of students' misconceptions on a variety of science topics. Of course, this by no means should be considered the only misconceptions a student might have.
You can find the list by visiting: The Science Hobbyist: Misconceptions Page.
If you do however want to spend your spare time sifting through the research you can start with Paul Brna's bibliography of literature dealing with misconceptions. Just visit References: Misconceptions.A teacher who expects to simply point out students' mistakes to them will be met with little success; as stated previously, misconceptions are not easily given up. Often children work very hard to process information and arrive at their ideas. It takes just as much work to deconstruct those ideas and let go of the incorrect ones.
The first step is to be aware of and diagnose students misconceptions. This involves going beyond the multiple choice assessment-- to asking open ended questions and truly listening to students' ideas. Next, it involved structuring experiences and the learning environment so that there are opportunities for students to "test out" their ideas and prove the correct concepts to themselves. This method is often referred to as teaching for conceptual change.
You can read more about ways to address students' misconceptions about science in the following: