The Case study of a School in Dubai

Think of students as young scientists, full of curiosity. They're like little researchers exploring the universe of knowledge. They want to understand the mysteries, from the pull of gravity to the secrets of the atom. But, just like scientists, students can sometimes get things a bit wrong before they figure them out. That's where patience and understanding come in.

Have you heard about Sir Isaac Newton and the falling apple? It's a lot like education. Instead of a quick answer, Newton's mind took its time, pondering the apple's descent. It was a moment of curiosity and patience, like the tortoise in the famous story.

Now, imagine a classroom where teachers don't rush to give all the answers. They allow students to think, question, and even make mistakes. Just like Newton took his time to understand gravity, students are given the time to learn at their own pace.

Why do Misconceptions Matter?

But why is patience so crucial in education? Let's consider another scientific example. People once believed that the Earth was flat. Students can also have their "flat Earth" moments. They might think gravity is just what pulls things down. However, gravity is much more - it's what keeps planets in orbit, making them dance through space.

Understanding these misconceptions is essential for effective teaching. It's akin to scientists correcting their theories to gain a better understanding of the world. In the same way, students learn and grow by recognizing their misconceptions.In many classrooms, there's a common issue. Teachers usually teach a lesson, then give a test, and move on to the next topic. Unfortunately, during this process, many students' misunderstandings or confusions aren't fully taken care of. This happens in most classrooms, and it's a problem because students can carry these misunderstandings with them, making it harder for them to learn new things.

The Journey of A School in Dubai

Now, let's embark on a journey to a School l in Dubai. The school in Dubai is well-known, and even though they were already doing a good job teaching, they wanted to make their students even better thinkers. So, they made a choice to use Open Door's Thinking Assessments in their classrooms.

Step 1: Thinking Assessment (Learning test)- Uncovering Misconceptions

-The Learning Assessment, which is the first test, is designed to identify misconceptions and gaps in a student's understanding. This step helps teachers pinpoint areas where students may have misunderstood or incorrectly grasped fundamental concepts.

-Identifying misconceptions early is essential because these errors can persist and lead to more significant learning problems in the future. It's like identifying cracks in a foundation before they cause structural issues.

-By recognizing these misunderstandings at the outset, teachers can take immediate corrective action, ensuring that students build a solid foundation for subsequent learning. It's an opportunity to address and clarify these misconceptions, making the learning journey smoother.

Step 2: Thinking Assessment (Re-learning test)- Measuring Improvement

-The Re-learning Assessment, conducted after students have had time to work on their misconceptions, serves as a measure of improvement. It shows whether the efforts to correct misconceptions have been successful.

-This step is critical for gauging the effectiveness of the teaching methods applied to rectify the misunderstandings identified in the Learning Assessment.

-A successful Re-learning Assessment indicates that the students have grasped the corrected concepts, and that the educational intervention was effective. It's a validation of the teaching approach and a confirmation that the students are on the right track to solidifying their understanding.

To gain a clearer understanding of the improvements brought about by Open Door's Thinking Assessments in schools, we'll analyze five example questions from Grades 5, 6, and 7. These questions were part of Open Door's Thinking Assessments at a School in Dubai

Question 1 (Grade 5 Science)

Q. Following are two objects, 1 and 2 as shown in a beaker of water. Which of the objects is heavier than the other?

A) 1 has more weight than 2

B) 2 has more weight than 1

C) Both could be of same weight

D) All ofthe above cases are possible

This above graph displays the percentage of students who chose the correct answer in green and the wrong answers in red for each option.

Question 2 (Grade 6 Math)

Q. Deepa started collecting Rs. 3 every day in her wallet. After a few days, the total amount in her wallet will be _____.

A) A prime number

B) A composite number

C) It can be both prime & composite. It depends on the number of days she has collected money.

This above graph displays the percentage of students who chose the correct answer in green and the wrong answers in red for each option.

‍Question 3 (Grade 6 Science)

Q. Which of the following is NOT made of cells?

A) Wooden Log

B) Vegetables

C) Chicken pieces

D) All of the above are made of cells

E) None of the above

This above graph displays the percentage of students who chose the correct answer in green and the wrong answers in red for each option.

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Question 4 (Grade 7 Math)

Q. The bottles of water shown make 1 pack of water bottles. If the number of water bottles in one pack is raised to the power "3", which option represents the resultant number of water bottles? (Option A is representing 3 packs of water bottles)

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This above graph displays the percentage of students who chose the correct answer in green and the wrong answers in red for each option.

Question 5 (Grade 5 Science)

Q. A cube of ice is kept outside and slowly changes to water. What can you say about the molecules present in both of them?

A) Molecules of ice & molecules of water are different.

B) Molecules of ice & molecules of water are the same.

C) Nothing can be said.

This above graph displays the percentage of students who chose the correct answer in green and the wrong answers in red for each option.

‍Do you want to know what happened after these question were asked at this school?

Every time a difficult topic is taught, children have misconceptions. In most of the cases, these misconceptions are never found. We assume that our students have understood the topic. But, if you ask good questions you will find out that children have only partially understood the topic. In the few cases where misconception is found, we tend to move to the text topic because 'time is short and we need to complete teaching many chapters'.

After the students completed the learning test, teachers identified where the students were having misconceptions. They went back and taught those topics again to ensure the students understood them better. Following this, a re-learning test was given at the school to measure the improvement. Below, you can find the results of both the learning and re-learning tests.

As seen in the table above, you can notice how the class average improved in understanding the concepts. This improvement was a result of the teachers' efforts in re-teaching where it was needed. However, it's also important to observe that in the Grade 6, Math: the class average decreased. This serves as a reminder that sometimes, there are deep misconceptions that persist despite the teachers' best efforts. This suggests that teachers should consider alternative approaches to help students clear these misconceptions.

The 'Misconception Master' Contest: A Peek into the Journey

To dive even deeper into the world of misconceptions, we launched the 'Misconception Master' contest. Over 500 schools and more than 5,000 teachers took part. In these particular questions of the 'Misconception Master' contest, we picked 5 questions asked in Open Door's Assessment conducted in Classes 5, 6 and 7. These questions were a part of the first assessment (Learning assessment) and were asked after the topic was taught. We picked the same questions which we just saw above from Open Door's Thinking Assessment in a School in Dubai,

Winners of Misconception Master Contest🏆

We have given three titles to the winners

1. "Misconception Master" are those who picked the most common misconception in all the questions.

2. "Misconception Expert" are those who picked any four of the most common misconception in all the questions.

3. "Misconception Explorer" are those who picked any three of the most common misconceptions in all the questions.

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These are the TOP 114 teachers who are being awarded with the title of MISCONCEPTION MASTER:

👏 Gurminder Kaur: Allenhouse Public School Jhansi

👏 Rambir Sharma: Army public school,Hisar

👏 Renuka Kulkarni: Ashoka Universal School, Sinnar

👏Varsha Krishnan: Bal Bharati Public School Sector 14 Rohini Delhi 110035

👏 Asit Kumar Maiti: Birla High School

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‍Click here to see the FULL LIST of the top 114 winners of Misconception Master Contest: 3rdedition.

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These are the teachers ranked 116 to 489 who are being awarded with the title of MISCONCEPTION EXPERT:

👏 Arpita Chatterjee: Adani Vidya Mandir

👏 Sabita Routroy: ADANI VIDYA MANDIR, AHMEDABAD, GUJARAT

👏 Ruvaitha: Al Hira Model School, T-Nagar, Chennai, Tamilnadu 600017

👏 Safreen: Al hira model school

👏 Fahmeeda Chaudhry: Al Hira Model School, Chennai

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Click here to see the FULL LIST of the teachers ranked 115 to 488 in the Misconception Master Contest: 3rd edition.

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These are the teachers ranked 490 to 1146 who are being awarded with the title of MISCONCEPTION EXPLORER:

👏 Abdul Quadhir N: AL HIRA MODEL SCHOOL  ,CHENNAI, TAMILNADU

👏 Santhi.N: Chandrakanthipublic school

👏 Annie Resin CHOITHRAM SCHOOL, MANIKBAGH

👏 Kanika Gupta: Delhi Public School Bangalore East

👏 Nidhi Chahar: GEMS International School, Palam Vihar, Gurugram

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Click here to see the FULL LIST of the teachers ranked 489 to 1145 in the Misconception Master Contest: 3rd edition.

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Do you want to know more about Thinking Assessments? Click here to know more.

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