Conceptual change: From a cognitive or situated perspective?

Two cognitive conceptual-change-approaches are presented in a detailed manner: the framework theory-approach of Vosniadou (Vosniadou & Brewer, 1992) and the much less thancategorization approachmuch greater than of Chi (1992). Vosniadou describes conceptual change as a gradual revision of mental models, and Chi conceptualizes it as an overcoming of ontological categorization errors. Both deficit-oriented approaches are criticized from a situated perspective. The problem of reification, the neglected context-problem, the problem of knowledge diagnosis, the problem of focusing on initial learning in well-structured domains, and finally the cognitive bias-problem are discussed. A context model of Caravita und Hallden (1994) is provided as an example of a situated approach. In addition the much less thanradicalmuch greater than situated position of Saljo (1999) is addressed. In the outlook, possibilities of a mutual enrichment of cognitive and situated approaches are discussed.