2. WHAT IS CONCEPT LEARNING?
The process of constructing knowledge and
organizing information into comprehensive and
complex cognitive structures
MORE than just classifying objects and forming
Categories
MORE than just learning new labels or vocabulary
to apply
3. CONCEPT LEARNING
Helps the learner:
Understand specific concepts
Understand the nature of concepts
Utilize logical reasoning and higher level thinking
Improve Communication
Specific
Concepts
Nature of
Concepts
Concept Teaching
Logical Reasoning and
Communication Higher Level Thinking
4. NATURE OF CONCEPTS
What is a concept?
Mental abstractions/categories for things in the physical
world
Involves putting something into a class, then
recognizing other members of that class
Ex: A student has a pet dog named Max. The concept would
be “Dog”, and the student would use existing knowledge of
Max to recognize and categorize other “Dogs”
5. TYPES OF CONCEPTS:
CONJUNCTIVE CONCEPT
A conjunctive concept is a concept with a constant
rule structure.
Triangle – A plane figure with three straight sides and
three angles.
Bird – Warm-blooded animal with wings and feathers.
6. TYPES OF CONCEPTS:
DISJUNCTIVE CONCEPT
A disjunctive concept is a concept that contains an
alternate set of attributes.
Noun – A person, place, or thing; however cannot be all
three at once.
Strike (Baseball) – Occurs when a batter swings and
misses, hits the ball into foul territory, or the batter does not
swing and the Umpire decides that it passed through a
designated zone; cannot be all three at once.
7. TYPES OF CONCEPTS:
RELATIONAL CONCEPT
A relational concept is a concept whose rule structure
depends upon relationships.
To understand relational concepts, one must
understand the “other” and the relationship between
them.
Time and Distance – Relative to beginning and end points
Aunt- describes a relationship between siblings and
offspring
8. NATURE OF CONCEPTS:
EXAMPLES/NON -EXAMPLES
Concepts are learned through use of Examples and
Non-Examples.
MAMMALS
Examples: Non-Examples
Dog Snake
Cat Ant
Squirrel Jellyfish
Cow Tree
9. NATURE OF CONCEPTS:
CRITICAL/NON-CRITICAL ATTRIBUTES
Critical Attributes are features of a concept that
distinguish it from all other objects.
Non-Critical Attributes are features found on some,
but not all, members of a category.
Attributes of Birds
Critical Non-Critical
Feathers Feather Color
Warm-Blooded Ability to Fly
Feet Webbed Feet
10. THEORISTS:
JEAN PIAGET
Stages of Cognitive Development
Sensorimotor (0-2 yrs.): Begin to recognize objects
Preoperational (2-7 yrs.): Develop language; able to
think symbolically; see others’ Point of View
Concrete Operational (7-11 yrs.): Able to solve concrete
problems logically; able to classify
Formal Operational (11-15+): Able to solve abstract
problems logically
11. THEORISTS:
JEAN PIAGET
Believed people adapt to their environment through
assimilation and accommodation.
Assimilation- Trying to understand new information by
adapting it to what is already known (pre-existing
schemata).
Accommodation- If new data does not fit into pre-
existing schemata, development of new schemata for
the new data.
12. THEORISTS:
JEROME BRUNER
Three distinct modes of learning:
Enactive Mode – Learning by doing
Iconic Mode – Learning by forming mental images
Symbolic Mode – Learning through a series of abstract
symbols or representations
As children develop, less emphasis is placed on
doing and more is placed on the abstract
13. PLANNING FOR CONCEPT TEACHING:
SELECTING CONCEPTS
Curriculum is the primary source for new concepts
Concept lessons should be taught if materials
contain:
Unfamiliar terms
Unknown steps
New “Rules”
INCLUDE NEW VOCABULARY WORDS
14. PLANNING FOR CONCEPT TEACHING:
TWO DIFFERENT APPROACHES
Direct Presentation
Rule-to-Example – Concept is named, defined, then
examples/non-examples given
Focus is on labeling and defining the concept
Concept Attainment
Example-to-Rule – Begin with examples/non-examples,
students discover concept through inductive reasoning
Labeling and defining come at the end
Higher level thinking; more useful with older students
15. PLANNING FOR CONCEPT TEACHING:
DEFINE THE CONCEPT
Identify the concept’s name
List critical and non-critical attributes
Write a concise definition
Ex: Concept = Dinosaur.
Critical Attributes: Reptile, lived 65+ million years ago,
extinct
Non-Critical Attributes: Carnivore, Bi-pedal, Huge
Dinosaurs are reptiles that lived over 65 million years
ago and have gone extinct.
16. PLANNING FOR CONCEPT TEACHING:
ANALYZE THE CONCEPT
Formulate Examples and Non-Examples
Examples serve as connectors between the concept’s
abstraction and the learner’s prior knowledge
Examples should be as concrete and meaningful as
possible
The isolation of attributes is critical
Use Charts, Diagrams, Webs, Visuals, etc.
Sequence Examples/Non-Examples
Display typical examples before atypical ones
Critical examples are the most immediate neighbors,
non-critical examples are as different as possible.
17. PLANNING FOR CONCEPT TEACHING:
SOCIAL CONTEXT
Critical attributes of conjunctive concepts are fixed
across social contexts.
Some disjunctive or relational concepts change
among social contexts
Poverty – Different cultural definition or delineation
Aunt – Strict blood relative vs. any adult involved in
raising a child
North/South – Different attributes per location
18. PLANNING FOR CONCEPT TEACHING:
SOCIAL CONTEXT
Labeling of concepts is also influenced by context
Concept remains the same, but labeling is different
American vs. British Labeling:
Trunk vs. Boot
Flashlight vs. Torch
Elevator vs. Lift
Sorcerer’s Stone vs. Philosopher’s Stone
19. PLANNING FOR CONCEPT TEACHING:
CREATE A GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
Graphic Organizers highlight critical attributes and
make concepts more concrete
4 steps for creating a web:
1. Create core (focus) of web: Name of the Concept
2. Strands branch out from the core: Critical Attributes
3. Strand Supports: connect Critical Attributes to Concept
4. Identify strand ties: show relationship among attributes
Analogies are also VERY helpful, as they help to
incorporate prior knowledge.
20. PLANNING FOR CONCEPT TEACHING:
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER (PAGE 336)
Encloses the Figure
Three Closed,
Equal Simple,
Sides Plane
Figure
Equilateral
Triangle
If equal Shapes the
sides, then Figure
equal angles
Three
Equal
Angles
21. PLANNING FOR CONCEPT TEACHING:
PLAN TIME AND SPACE
Most Concept Teaching lessons use Row and
Column seating during instruction
The time required for student understanding may
vary depending upon the age of the learners
Typically, the biggest problem with this step is that
the teacher does not afford enough time for
understanding to occur.
22. IMPLEMENTING CONCEPT LESSONS:
CLARIFY AIMS AND ESTABLISH SET
Clearly communicate the aims of the lesson and
how it will proceed
You may go over the steps of the lesson and why
the concept is important to learn
23. IMPLEMENTING CONCEPT LESSONS:
INPUT EXAMPLES AND NON-EXAMPLES
Two types of presentation:
Direct Presentation
1. Name the concept and provide definition
2. Identify critical attributes and give examples/non-examples
3. Test for understanding by having students provide
examples/non-examples that fit
24. IMPLEMENTING CONCEPT LESSONS:
INPUT EXAMPLES AND NON-EXAMPLES
Two types of presentation:
Concept Attainment (students must have some prior
knowledge of concept)
1. Give examples labeled “Yes” & non-examples labeled “No”
2. Have students hypothesize about attributes and record ideas
3. Have students name the concept and describe process used in
identification
4. Check for understanding by having students identify examples
as “Yes” or “No” and have them explain why
5. Teacher only gives concept definition AFTER students have
engaged in the discovery of critical attributes.
Teacher’s Roles:
1. Record Student hypotheses and critical attributes identified
2. Cue students
3. Provide additional data if needed
25. IMPLEMENTING CONCEPT LESSONS:
TEST FOR ATTAINMENT
Provide additional examples/non-examples to test
students’ understanding of the concept
Students are asked to provide their own
examples/non-examples
26. IMPLEMENTING CONCEPT LESSONS:
ANALYZE STUDENT THINKING/LEARNING
Get the students to think about their own thinking
process
Ask students to examine their decisions and the
consequences of their choices
Help students integrate new learning by relating the
concept to other concepts in the unit of study
27. IMPLEMENTING CONCEPT LESSONS:
ASSESSMENT
Ideas and strategies used in defining/analyzing concepts
can be used to evaluate understanding
Have student do more than define concept with words
Ask the student to use the concept in new situations
Can use traditional selected-response items to test
knowledge and concept development
Test items should include examples to measure ability to
discriminate between examples/non-examples
Employ different test formats, such as True/False, Multiple
Choice, Matching, Short Answer, or Short Essay
