Lunar Phases: Uncovering Misconceptions through Conceptual Change

The purpose of this project is to research and report findings pertaining to student understanding of moon phases. The action research portion illustrates whether or not students' perceptions can be changed regarding moon phases if the Conceptual Change Model is used. In order to accomplish such task, I used relevant peer-reviewed literature. Through the action research portion of the project, I implemented multiple hands-on activities. During the Conceptual Change Model, the students experienced each of the six stages first hand and became the primary source regarding lunar phases. Through researching the literature, my findings indicated that children do have misconceptions about the phases of the moon. However, through the action research portion of this study, I found that students were able to increase their understanding of lunar phases from pre- to post-test.