Abstract
Children bring a range of beliefs relating to the scientific domains to early childhood services. These often differ from the accepted ‘scientific view’ and hence are termed ‘misconceptions’ or ‘preconceptions’. An examination of how these misconceptions change over time, through instruction and through other mechanisms is presented in the paper that follows. Piagetian and Vygotskian theories offer insights into children's misconceptions, relating to how they are formed, and how they are influenced by personal experience and social factors. Both of these theories can be utilised to ensure that early childhood educators respond appropriately to children's earliest conceptions and promote children's concept development.
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