Misconceptions Decoder: A Data-Driven Workshop for Primary Science and EVS Teachers

Science in the primary years is about building curiosity, making observations, and developing foundational concepts that shape students' understanding of the world. However, many students develop persistent misconceptions— that only humans and some mammals have complex sensory systems and other animals rely mostly on instinct, that all bacteria are harmful and cause diseases, or that the air we breathe out doesn't have any oxygen in it.

These misconceptions don’t disappear with more learning or repetition of previous content; they need deliberate intervention to help students reconstruct their thinking.

So, how can we identify and prevent these errors early? How can we help students move beyond surface-level learning and engage with science the way scientists do?

This two-session online workshop will help primary school teachers (Grades 1-5) recognize, understand, and correct the most common misconceptions in primary science. Using real student responses from nationwide assessments, we will uncover how children think and provide practical classroom strategies to…