preknowledge

Preknowledge is the knowledge and beliefs a learner brings to a new learning situation, existing before engaging with the material. It includes factual information, procedural know-how, and cognitive structures such as schemas, as well as misconceptions and expectations. The concept is used in education, psychology, and cognitive science to describe the cognitive foundation that shapes how new information is perceived, interpreted, and remembered.

Preknowledge can facilitate learning when it aligns with new concepts, allowing for rapid integration and retrieval. It can also hinder learning when it contains incorrect or oversimplified ideas, leading to misconceptions that resist change or distort new information. The overall effect depends on accuracy, coherence, and the learner's ability to revise beliefs through feedback and instruction.

Educators assess preknowledge through pretests, diagnostic questions, concept maps, or elicitation interviews. Instruction often aims to activate relevant prior knowledge, surface misconceptions, and connect new material to existing schemas. Successful strategies include explicit acknowledgment of learners' ideas, the use of advance organizers, analogies, and carefully sequenced explanations that promote conceptual coherence and gradual conceptual change.

Preknowledge is both domain-specific and domain-general; it derives from schooling, daily experience, culture, and media. It can be explicit (facts and rules) or tacit (intuitive theories). Preknowledge can be up to date or outdated, requiring modification through evidence and instruction.

In research and practice, preknowledge informs curriculum design, assessment, and feedback. Limitations include the imperfect measurement of prior knowledge and the persistence of misconceptions. Understanding preknowledge supports effective teaching by aligning instruction with learners' starting points.