Conceptual Change During the Professional Socialization Process

Abstract

Through the professional socialization process, novice family and consumer sciences (FCS) students are asked to let go of their lay knowledge about the profession to make room for changes to their existing mental schema. The premise of this paper is that the professional socialization process is better ensured it it is informed by conceptual change theory. Three different lines of conceptual change inquiry (i.e., knowledge as theory, elements and context) are discussed. Application of these lines helps university program planners and faculty better appreciate and facilitate the intellectual challenge they are expecting novice professionals to embrace.