New Perspectives on Conceptual Change" brings together the latest research on conceptual change from perspectives in developmental, cognitive and motivational psychology, instructional psychology and science education. The book addresses four main themes: the interplay between the learner's naive knowledge based on everyday experience and new knowledge conveyed by schooling and formal instruction, traditional cognitive views on knowledge acquisition and new socioconstructionist perspectives, constraints on knowledge acquisition and modification within specific learning domains, and instructional aspects of conceptual change and suggestions for the design of learning environments and teaching processes which promote conceptual change.