A Study of Common Sense and Its Relationship with the Understandings of Electricity

Author: Wen-Gin Yang(Graduate Institute of Science Education, National Taiwan Normal University)

Abstract：

The source of "misconceptions" are always attributed to common sense by science education researchers. Ironically, there are polarized conceptions of common sense. A term is without explanatory power if we do not know what it refers to. It is necessary to define what is common sense before we use it to interpret anything.
The present study investigates the nature of common sense in the light of social psy-chology and philosophy. And according to the viewpoint of quantum theory and system theory, common sense is defined as a collection of "socialized internal steady states". Three propositions are further formulated based upon the definition, and empirically verified in terms of the understandings of electricity.
Finally, several implications of common sense in science education are discussed.

Keywords：SD0.5$ Steady Stage、Sponteneous Conception、Misconception、Common Sense、Commonsensical Understanding、Electricity

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