Abstract
M.Ed.
Students exhibit misconceptions or deviations from universally accepted concepts.
Constructivists trace these misconceptions back' to the unique conceptual frames of
reference of students. Ausubel (1985:82) named prior knowledge as the single most
important factor influencing learning. New teaching strategies were designed to prevent or eliminate these misconceptions. The strategies are based on guidelines postulated by researchers such as Posner and his co-workers (1982:211). Several strategies use media to motivate students or provide a more concrete base for concept formation.
The side effects of the utilization of media are important to designers and users of
media. An empirical investigation was launched to determine whether media could
also stimulate the formation of misconceptions. The investigation indicated that two
dimensional representations of atoms, molecules and ion lattices can lead to misconceptions. Greater care should be taken in the selection of illustrations for textbooks and other media. If these side effects are taken into account by media designers and teachers, media can play a major role in the prevention and elimination of misconceptions.