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This article deals with general instructional strategies which can be used by physics teachers for the purpose of inducing conceptual change. Traditional physics instruction, embodied in the traditional physics textbook, presents a physicist's understanding of the world. Conceptions must be applied to problem situations and thus can only be identified by analyzing student responses. Changes in the knowledge state of a learner are often described in terms of assimilation and accommodations. A connection between student behaviors and conceptions is made via the words and phrases they use to describe physical situation and to explain their problem-solving actions.