{"id":17395,"date":"2022-11-26T11:23:52","date_gmt":"2022-11-26T11:23:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/?p=17395"},"modified":"2024-05-30T21:05:37","modified_gmt":"2024-05-30T21:05:37","slug":"threshold-concepts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/threshold-concepts\/","title":{"rendered":"Threshold Concepts in Education: Definition and Examples"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"724\" src=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/threshold-concepts-in-education-1024x724.jpg\" alt=\"threshold concepts in education\" class=\"wp-image-17396\" srcset=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/threshold-concepts-in-education-1024x724.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/threshold-concepts-in-education-300x212.jpg 300w, https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/threshold-concepts-in-education-768x543.jpg 768w, https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/threshold-concepts-in-education.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Threshold concepts are a pivotal ideas that allow students to make sense of acquired information so they can then advance to a higher level of understanding.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once a threshold concept is understood, students move off a learning plateau and experience rapid learning development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scholars Meyer and Land (2003) created the framework from their observations of high-performing classrooms.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Threshold Concept Characteristics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are several characteristics of a threshold concept:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><em>Transformative<\/em><\/strong>: A threshold concept creates a qualitatively distinct understanding of a subject. It serves as a kind of portal to a comprehension that is enlightening.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Troublesome<\/em><\/strong><strong>:<\/strong> Mastering a threshold concept is not a simple matter of memorization. The concept may be counter-intuitive or a student may find it difficult to \u201clet-go\u201d of their previous conceptualizations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Irreversible<\/em><\/strong><strong>:<\/strong> Because threshold concepts completely alter a student\u2019s perspective, they are often irreversible. It is nearly impossible to \u201cunlearn\u201d what has been so transformative.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Integrative<\/em><\/strong><strong>:<\/strong> Threshold concepts have a unifying effect on information that had previously seemed unconnected. New insights may emerge that were previously unseen.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Bounded<\/em><\/strong><strong>:<\/strong> The terminology contained in the threshold concept may be very specific to a particular domain. It can encapsulate that domain and make it wholly distinct from other subjects.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/liminal-space\/\">Liminality<\/a><\/em>:<\/strong> Threshold concepts are not reached through a sequential process. There can be a bit of oscillation and the learner can become suspended in a state of partial understanding.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Discursive<\/em>:<\/strong> Reaching the threshold involves an extension and enhanced use of vocabulary. The student begins to incorporate the lexicon in a manner that conveys <a href=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/professionalism-examples\/\">a certain degree of professionalism<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Reconstitutive<\/em><\/strong><strong>:<\/strong> The learner\u2019s subjective perspective on the subject changes. Prior conceptual schemata are reconfigured or may be completely discarded.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Threshold Concept Examples<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. In History Class: History as Interpretive<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"featurebox\"><strong>A threshold concept in history is coming to understand that history isn\u2019t about facts and dates; it\u2019s interpretive.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most students approach history as a kind of listing of events that occurred; each on a specific date, involving key figures, and having a definite consequence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, as students begin to study history more in-depth, they discover that history is interpretative. That is, there is no clear definition of what happened, why it happened, and what the results were.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, scholars write books about historical events that often offer differing interpretations than their predecessors. As research uncovers additional knowledge, the interpretation of events changes over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For many students, this can be a little disturbing. It does not gel with our initial conception of history as factual. When students accept and learn to tolerate this ambiguity, they have reached a threshold of understanding that changes their perspective permanently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Multiculturalism: Overcoming Ethnocentrism&nbsp; <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"featurebox\"><strong>Often, overcoming ethnocentrism is&nbsp; a slow process and only happens once students befriend children from other cultures. This lived experience can represent a threshold concept.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Growing up in a particular culture means internalizing certain beliefs, values, and customs. If a person spends all of their childhood and young adulthood in that culture, then the internalization becomes quite entrenched.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since their culture is the only way of thinking that a person knows, it seems valid and \u201cright.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But what happens when that person takes a course in multiculturalism? Now, all of a sudden, things are a lot different. The student learns about vastly different ways of thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The gestures and mannerisms that people display in those other cultures may seem more than just unfamiliar, they may represent bold acts of rudeness in one\u2019s home country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Every chapter in the textbook may be an afront to a student\u2019s upbringing and way of life. That can be quite troublesome and some students may simply be unable to take that step across the threshold and into cultural enlightenment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Learning to Teach: A Student-centered Approach<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"featurebox\"><strong>A threshold concept in teacher education occurs when new educators learn how to teach in a <a href=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/student-centered-learning-examples\/\">student-centered<\/a> rather than teacher-centered manner.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There was a time when most university professors practiced a kind of unidimensional pedagogy. The professor stood behind a lectern and spoke for the duration of the class; dispensing knowledge to students that eagerly absorbed that wisdom like a sponge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although there is something to be said for students\u2019 ability to process information in this manner, there are other ways students can learn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, professors <a href=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/multimedia-examples\/\">incorporate multimedia<\/a>, experiential activities, project-based learning, and a variety of blended practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For some, the process of moving from what was familiar to implement these more modern instructional approaches was a smooth and welcome transition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For others, the process was more disruptive. It took a while to see how these approaches would result in enhanced and more <a href=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/learning-experiences-examples\/\">impactful learning experiences<\/a> for students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many faculty today have taken that step across the threshold and fully embraced modern pedagogy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. In Statistics: How Stats is Unique <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"featurebox\"><strong>For many students in statistics classes, they must first overcome a significant hurdle that stats professors have observed for decades. These students have a great deal of difficulty differentiating between mathematics and statistics.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, the two subjects are very similar: they both involve numbers, formulas, and computations. However, there is a very distinct quality that separates the two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whereas mathematics calculations deal with numbers only, statistics involves a consideration of the underlying concepts being studied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The numbers are there to elucidate the findings. There is a great deal of critical-thinking and interpretation involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This requires taking the thought process one step further, which some students have difficulty accomplishing. They can become trapped in a conceptualization of \u201cdoing math\u201d that prevents them from understanding the power of statistical analysis. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. In Photography: Meanings aren&#8217;t Fixed<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"featurebox\"><strong>One of the main threshold concepts in photography is getting students to understand that the meaning of a photograph is never fixed.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The meaning is not contained in the photo itself, despite the intention of the photographer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The viewer\u2019s perception will depend on their sensitivities, their knowledge, cultural perspective, and a host of other factors including their personality and understanding of the photo\u2019s context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This can be difficult for students to accept. They may take a photo with an intended purpose, to convey a specific point, or create a certain affective state in the viewer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When that doesn\u2019t happen because of the viewer\u2019s own idiosyncrasies, it can be very disturbing to the novice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The threshold concept postulates that advanced learning means that the learner\u2019s understanding of a subject domain must be disrupted. It has to break free from the shackles of previous conceptualizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That process can be troublesome. It can be unsmooth in the sense that a learner\u2019s perspective can oscillate between old and new schemata.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, without some disturbance, there can be no progress. This can be observed in nearly every area of study, from history and statistics, to professional occupations such as photography.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore, educators should look for opportunities and methods to help learners achieve this threshold and transform their understanding in a way that is irreversible and progressive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">References<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Beitelmal, W. H., Littlejohn, R., Okonkwo, P. C., Hassan, I. U., Barhoumi, E. M., Khozaei, F., Hassan, A. M., &amp; Alkaaf, K. A. (2022). Threshold concepts theory in higher education\u2014Introductory statistics courses as an example. <em>Education Sciences, <\/em><em>12<\/em>(11),748. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/educsci12110748\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/educsci12110748<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cousins, G. (2008) <em>Threshold Concepts: Old Wine in New Bottles or New Forms of Transactional Inquiry<\/em>, in: Threshold Concepts within the Disciplines, Land, R., Meyer, J.H.F. and Smith, J. (Eds), Sense Publishers, Rotterdam, pp 261-272.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Didau, D. (2015) <em>What if everything you knew about education was wrong?<\/em><br>Crown House Publishing, Carmarthen, Wales, UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Timmermans, J. A. &amp; Meyer, J. H. F. (2019). A framework for working with university teachers to create and embed \u2018Integrated Threshold Concept Knowledge\u2019 (ITCK) in their practice. <em>International Journal for Academic Development,<\/em><em> 24<\/em>(4), 354-368. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/1360144X.2017.1388241\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/1360144X.2017.1388241<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meyer, J.H.F. and Land, R. (2003). <em>Threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge: linkages to ways of thinking and practicing. <\/em>In: Rust, C. (Ed.), Improving Student Learning &#8211; Theory and Practice Ten Years On. Oxford: Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development (OCSLD), pp 412-424.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meyer, J.H.F., Land, R. &amp; Davies, P. (2006). Implications of threshold concepts for course design and evaluation, in Meyer, J.H.F. and Land, R. (Eds.). <em>Overcoming barriers to student understanding: Threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge<\/em>, London and New York: Routledge.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Threshold concepts are a pivotal ideas that allow students to make sense of acquired information so they can then advance to a higher level of understanding. Once a threshold concept is understood, students move off a learning plateau and experience rapid learning development. Scholars Meyer and Land (2003) created the framework from their observations of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[93,127],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17395","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education","category-education-101-course-module-2"],"acf":[],"modified_by":"Chris Drew (PhD)","uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false,"authorship-box-avatar":false,"authorship-box-related":false,"authorship-post-flat":false,"authorship-post-cards":false,"authorship-post-thumbs":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Chris Drew (PhD)","author_link":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/author\/chris-drew-phd\/"},"uagb_comment_info":1,"uagb_excerpt":"Threshold concepts are a pivotal ideas that allow students to make sense of acquired information so they can then advance to a higher level of understanding. Once a threshold concept is understood, students move off a learning plateau and experience rapid learning development. Scholars Meyer and Land (2003) created the framework from their observations of&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17395","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17395"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17395\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38546,"href":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17395\/revisions\/38546"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17395"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17395"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17395"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}