Students’ Misconceptions are Falsely Measured By Concept Inventory Tests While Lack of Prior Knowledge is Ignored

Abstract

Concept inventory tests are used to measure students’ misconception. This article investigated and concludes that the current format of these tests are unable to measure students’ misconceptions since the answers choices do not reflect student lack of prior knowledge, the time lapse between when they learned the subject matter and when they try to recall it, and the conditions through which students construct their knowledge. CIs are better suited as tools to evaluate the effectiveness of pedagogical effectiveness and language in communicating the material to the students.Â