A comparison of chemistry teachers' and grade 11 students' alternative conceptions of 'rate of reaction'

The purpose of this study is to compare alternative conceptions of chemistry teachers and Grade 11 students on the subject of 'rate of reaction'. This study was conducted with a total of seventy chemistry teachers and seventy two grade 11 students. To collect data, a 'rate of reaction' concept test comprising 9 lead and 10 sub-questions (in total 19 items) were employed. Also, a structured interview session was conducted with 10 chemistry teachers and 13 grade 11 students. Since the chemistry teachers and grade 11 students possessed similar alternative conceptions, it can be deduced that the chemistry teachers seem to have been principal source at transmitting their alternative conceptions to the grade 11 students. It is recommended that, a common database or website should be created to afford the current chemistry teachers to easily access to improved teaching materials and/or instruments in chemistry education

Ideas de los Estudiantes sobre pilas galvánicas y libros de texto de Química de Bachillerato

In this paper we carry out a bibliographic review that picks up high school and university students' alternative conceptions about galvanic cells. Moreover, we analyze high school Spanish textbooks (Grade 12) in order to know how the problematic concepts about galvanic cells are presented. We conclude that these textbooks have many shortcomings which can obstruct students' learning. On the other hand, it must be introduced instructional methodologies that facilitate an appropriate understanding of concept

Advancing Chemistry Education with 3D Printed Tools

The projects goal was to incorporate 3D printing with chemistry education to allow chemistry teachers to better teach difficult concepts and topics. We conducted surveys of chemistry teachers to determine ways to incorporate 3D printed tools into chemistry classrooms. Based on this input, we created a compendium of 3D printable tools related to chemistry. We also created a 3D printing beginners guide for teachers. We made a list of common chemistry misconceptions and difficult topics, and provided 3D printable objects and simulations to help combat challenges in these topic areas. We developed three 3D printable tools for chemistry education which were posted to Thingiverse. All these resources were put onto a website we developed for the teachers: https://users.wpi.edu/~chem3dprint

Ortak Bilgi Yapılandırma Modelinin Isı ve Sıcaklık Konusunda Lise Öğrencilerinin Akademik Başarılarına ve Kavramsal Anlamalarına Etkisi

The aim of the study is to determine the effectiveness of The Common Knowledge Constructing Model (CKCM) on academic achievement and conceptual understandings of the 9th grade students on heat and temperature topic. Participants were 60 students (30 experimental and 30 control group) attending in the 9th grade of a high school in Gürpınar district of Van in the academic year of 2016-2017. Within quasi-experimental research design; The Heat and Temperature Conceptual Understanding Test (HTCUT), and the Heat and Temperature Achievement Test (HTAT) were used as data collection tools. While the qualitative data obtained with the HTCUT were analyzed with a graded scoring key, the quantitative data obtained with the HTCUT and the HTAT were analyzed with Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test and Mann Whitney U-Test. As the result of the study, it was found that the CKCM was effective in increasing academic achievement and conceptual understandings of the students. In addition, it was effective in replacing students’ alternative concepts with scientific concepts on heat and temperature topic. To explore the influence of the CKCM on students' academic achievement and conceptual understanding more clearly, it is suggested to perform research on the use of the model in different subjects of physics course.Bu çalışmanın amacı; Ortak Bilgi Yapılandırma Modeli (OBYM)'nin ısı ve sıcaklık konusunda dokuzuncu sınıf öğrencilerinin akademik başarılarına ve kavramsal anlamalarına olan etkisini araştırmaktır. Araştırmanın çalışma grubunu, 2016-2017 eğitim-öğretim yılında Van’ın Gürpınar ilçesindeki bir lisenin 9. sınıfında öğrenim gören 60 öğrenci (30 deney ve 30 kontrol grubunda olmak üzere) oluşturmaktadır. Yarı deneysel yöntem kapsamında; Isı ve Sıcaklık Kavramsal Anlama Testi (ISKAT), Isı ve Sıcaklık Başarı Testi (ISBAT), veri toplama araçları olarak kullanılmıştır. ISKAT aracılığıyla elde edilen nitel veriler dereceli puanlama anahtarı ile analiz edilirken ISBAT ve ISKAT ile elde edilen nicel veriler Wilcoxon İşaretli Sıralar Testi ve Mann Whitney U-Testi ile analiz edilmiştir. OBYM ile gerçekleştirilen ders sürecinin, ısı ve sıcaklık konusundaki lise dokuzuncu sınıf öğrencilerinin akademik başarılarının ve kavramsal anlamalarının artırılmasında etkili olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Ayrıca öğrencilerin ısı ve sıcaklık konusundaki alternatif kavramların giderilmesinde etkili olduğu belirlenmiştir. OBYM’nin öğrencilerin akademik başarı ve kavramsal anlamaları üzerinde etkisinin daha net olarak ortaya çıkarılması için fizik dersinin farklı konularında modelin kullanılmasına yönelik araştırmaların yapılması önerilmektedir

Research on Teaching and Learning In Biology, Chemistry and Physics In ESERA 2013 Conference

This paper provides an overview of the topics in educational research that were published in the ESERA 2013 conference proceedings. The aim of the research was to identify what aspects of the teacher-student-content interaction were investigated frequently and what have been studied rarely. We used the categorization system developed by Kinnunen, Lampiselkä, Malmi and Meisalo (2016) and altogether 184 articles were analyzed. The analysis focused on secondary and tertiary level biology, chemistry, physics, and science education. The results showed that most of the studies focus on either the teacher’s pedagogical actions or on the student - content relationship. All other aspects were studied considerably less. For example, the teachers’ thoughts about the students’ perceptions and attitudes towards the goals and the content, and the teachers’ conceptions of the students’ actions towards achieving the goals were studied only rarely. Discussion about the scope and the coverage of the research in science education in Europe is needed.Peer reviewe

Distributed Scaffolding: Wiki Collaboration Among Latino High School Chemistry Students

The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate if wiki collaboration among Latino high school chemistry students can help reduce the science achievement gap between Latino and White students. The study was a quasi-experimental pre/post control group mixed-methods design. It used three intact sections of a high school chemistry course. The first research question asked if there is a difference in academic achievement between a treatment and control group on selected concepts from the topics of bonding, physical changes, and chemical changes, when Latino high school chemistry students collaborate on a quasi-natural wiki project. Overall results for all three activities (Bonding, Physical Changes, and Chemical Changes) indicated no significant difference between the wiki and control group. However, students performing the chemical changes activity did significantly better than their respective control group. Furthermore, there was a significant association, with large effect size, between group membership and ability to overcome the misconception that aqueous ionic reactants in precipitation reactions exist as molecular pairs of ions. Qualitative analysis of classroom and computer lab dialogue, discussion board communication, student focus groups, teacher interviews, and wiki content attributes the better performance of the chemical changes wiki group to favorable differences in intersubjectivity and calibrated assistance, as well as learning about submicroscopic representations of precipitation reactions in multiple contexts. Furthermore, the nonsignificant result overall points to an aversion to peer editing as a possible cause. Drawing considerably on Vygotsky and Piaget, the results are discussed within the context of how distributed scaffolding facilitated medium levels of cognitive conflict. The second research question asked what the characteristics of distributed metacognitive scaffolding are when Latino high school chemistry students collaborate on a quasi-natural wiki project. Results suggested a higher frequency of metacognitive scaffolding by the teacher, over peers, for content knowledge and making connections knowledge. Teacher metacognitive scaffolding often took the form of posting discussion board questions designed to stimulate student reflection on their content or creativity. On the other hand, both teacher and peer metacognitive scaffolding for general goals knowledge and strategy knowledge was relatively infrequent. Recommendations are offered for improving teacher and peer metacognitive scaffolding

Grade 11 agricultural science teachers’ topic specific pedagogical content knowledge in teaching organic compounds: action-research in selected schools in Libode District.

Masters degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.In Agricultural Sciences, the teaching of chemistry and especially the topic of organic compounds is becoming an area of concern among Agricultural Sciences educators with poor chemistry background who are teaching in rural schools. These educators’ poor content and pedagogical knowledge, and pedagogical content knowledge of general chemistry and specifically organic chemistry also affect their learners’ understanding of science. This is a concern not only for the Department of Education, as poor results are produced in external examinations, but also for learners who then change career choices from Agricultural Sciences to other subjects perceived to be easier. Agricultural Sciences learners who are taught by teachers who are trained in chemistry are normally exposed to better teaching, as their teachers have good chemistry content knowledge thus minimising alternative conceptions that learners often exhibit. Teachers’ difficulties in understanding and therefore teaching organic chemistry is most visible when they interact with learners while trying to find easier ways of making the content meaningful in their classes. Such interaction is expressed as their topic specific pedagogical content knowledge (TS-PCK). This qualitative study sought to explore Grade 11 Agricultural Sciences teachers’ TS-PCK in teaching organic compounds. There are two research questions in this study. Firstly, what problems do Grade 11 Agricultural Sciences teachers encounter in teaching the topic organic compounds? And then, how can action research help Grade 11 Agricultural Sciences teachers to improve their TS-PCK in teaching organic compounds? It is an action-research study of selected schools in Libode District, Eastern Cape. A qualitative case study approach was chosen. Three Grade 11 Agricultural Sciences teachers were chosen as participants of this study by a purposive sample method, in line with the qualitative research design. Data generation and collection for this study was mainly through interviews with the teachers. The interviews were transcribed, data coded and themes emerged from this data analysis. The findings of the study confirmed that teachers who had not studied chemistry previously at a tertiary institution held more alternative conceptions in organic chemistry than those who had done so. The teachers without chemistry studies at university level were also found to have insufficient content knowledge for teaching chemistry in Agricultural Sciences. The results also confirmed that the use of workshops based on action research was a practical solution in rural areas for supporting teachers and building their confidence with regard to understanding and teaching the difficult chemistry concepts in Agricultural Sciences

Examining factors that can impact conceptual learning in first-year cegep chemistry

Abstract : Knowledge consists of interrelated concepts that encompass truths, information, and principles that enable a person to construct meaning about the world in a unique way. Learning is a complex, cumulative process by which students add new pieces of information by interpreting them from the vantage point of their preexisting ideas and beliefs. Addressing students’ misconceptions in science courses at all levels of instruction has become a major concern for science educators since incomplete, faulty concepts are major hurdles for attaining future effective learning. This exploratory study has multiple goals: It aims to identify misconceptions in chemistry held by first-semester CEGEP students, to investigate how instruction can influence their conceptual learning, and to analyze if gender and language of instruction in high school are significant predictors of conceptual gains. To identify misconceptions in chemistry and investigate how instruction can influence conceptual learning, 332 first-semester CEGEP Science students in an Anglophone college in Montreal (male:female ratio = 0.83) who were divided in 11 cohorts took the Chemistry Concept Inventory (CCI), a well-researched instrument that contains 22 multiple-choice conceptual questions that test students’ knowledge about basic high-school level material. The CCI was administered twice: as a pretest (before receiving instruction) to detect misconceptions brought from high school and as a posttest (after instruction) to provide information about the changes resulting from instruction. The case-study design involved a treatment group and 10 control groups, which were taught the same material by different instructors. The independent variable was the learning activity, which is either a series of computer simulations that provided visualization of chemical phenomena to students (the treatment), or traditional lecture format for the delivery of the material (the control). The treatment involved three computer simulations that were carried out by groups of students in class. These simulations are available on the website of the Phet Interactive Simulations from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Hake normalized learning gain, based on the differences between pre- and posttest scores, was calculated for each student and for each cohort. The mean of this gain for the whole sample was 6.1%, and the treatment group had the highest gain, 12.1%. The pretest score is a significant predictor (R2adjusted = 0.562, F(7,324) = 61.73, p < 0.01) of posttest score, which indicates that students who already knew chemistry concepts at the beginning of the course did better than those holding multiple misconceptions. No statistically significant difference was observed between test scores and the language of instruction in high school. Although neither the cohort nor the treatment was a significant predictor of posttest scores, the results indicate a gender gap in which the treatment is significant for males (R2adjusted = 0.497, F(5,145) = 30.65, p = 0.00685) but not significant for females. This means that males benefit from the treatment significantly more than females do. One-way ANOVA showed gender as a significant predictor of scores in most of the items in both pretest (14 of 22 questions, F(1, 330) = 5.19, MSE = 0.25, p < 0.024) and posttest (19 of 22 questions, F(1, 330) = 8.42, MSE = 0.25, p < 0.004) with males outperforming females. The combined data indicate the existence of a gender gap in introductory college chemistry, a feature that was not reported in previous studies with the CCI. The comparison between the misconceptions held by first-year CEGEP students with those reported for American first-year undergraduates enabled the identification of the most challenging concepts for which measured learning gains were either negligible or not observed. This study indicates that concepts dealing with the microscopic scale and size of atoms, the distinction between the physical and chemical properties of aggregate matter compared to the properties of its molecular constituents, as well as the energy changes in the formation and breaking of chemical bonds are among the most challenging concepts detected with the CCI. The results emphasize the difficulties faced by learners related to the triplet representation in chemistry whose understanding requires the distinction between the particulate model used to describe matter, the understanding of chemical and physical properties displayed in laboratory experiments, and the symbolic representations used to describe phenomena. The trends reported extensively for American undergraduate students regarding the types of identified misconceptions and the magnitude of the normalized learning gains align with those found in this study, which indicates the validity of the CCI as a tool to analyze conceptual learning under the specific characteristics of Quebec’s CEGEP system. The crafting of lesson plans that engage learners in the transfer of key concepts and ideas to new settings is paramount to helping them learn chemistry more effectively by selecting an appropriate model in each specific context. This study sheds light on critical issues related to curriculum development by attempting to map the conceptual landscape of first-year CEGEP students and by analyzing the effect of instruction in learning gains. The indication that classroom practices based on computer simulations might be beneficial for enhancing conceptual learning deserves further investigation. The findings of this study can be used to guide fruitful pedagogical discussions among chemistry teachers who are interested in aligning students’ pre-knowledge, instruction, curriculum, and assessment. || Résumé : Les connaissances d’un être humain sont constituées de concepts interreliés comprenant des vérités, de l’information, et des principes, qui, en somme, permettent à une personne de se construire une réalité unique du monde qui les entoure. L'apprentissage est un processus complexe et cumulatif par lequel les élèves ajoutent de nouvelles informations à leurs connaissances, en les interprétant du point de vue de leurs idées et croyances préexistantes. Aborder les idées fausses que tiennent les étudiants en sciences est devenu une préoccupation majeure pour les enseignants, car des concepts incomplets et défectueux se présentent comme obstacles majeurs à l’apprentissage futur. Cette étude exploratoire a plusieurs objectifs: elle vise à identifier les idées fausses en chimie que tiennent les étudiants du cégep à leur premier semestre, à étudier comment l'enseignement peut influencer leur apprentissage conceptuel, et à analyser si le sexe et la langue d'enseignement au secondaire sont des prédicteurs significatifs des gains conceptuels. Afin d’identifier les idées fausses en chimie, et dans le but d’étudier de quelle façon l’enseignement peut influencer l’apprentissage conceptuel, 332 étudiants, répartis dans 11 cohortes (ratio hommes/femmes = 0,83), et tous en première année dans le programme sciences de la nature à un cégep anglophone à Montréal, ont complété l’inventaire des concepts de chimie (ICC). Ceci est un instrument bien documenté et fiable, qui contient 22 questions conceptuelles à choix multiples qui mettent à l’épreuve les connaissances des élèves sur de la matière de base, c’est-à-dire de niveau secondaire. L’ICC a été administrée deux fois : en pré-test (avant de recevoir un enseignement sur la matière) afin de repérer les principaux idées fausses transmis par l’école secondaire, et en post-test (après avoir reçu un enseignement sur la matière) dans le but de fournir des informations sur les changements à la suite de l’instruction sur la matière. La recherche était sous forme d’étude de cas, et comprenait 11 groupes différents, dont un seul groupe de traitement et 10 groupes de contrôle, qui ont tous appris le même contenu, mais enseignée par de différents professeurs. La variable indépendante était l’activité d’apprentissage, qui était soit une série de simulations informatiques permettant aux étudiants de visualiser de multiples phénomènes chimiques (le groupe de traitement), ou bien un cours magistral pour présenter le contenu (le groupe de contrôle). Le traitement comportait trois simulations informatiques réalisées par des groupes d’élèves durant la classe. Ces simulations sont disponibles sur le site web de Phet Interactive Simulations de l’Université du Colorado à Boulder. Le gain normalisé d’apprentissage de Hake, basé sur l’écart entre les scores pré- et post-test, a été calculé pour chaque élève et pour chaque cohorte. La moyenne de ce gain pour l’ensemble de l’échantillon était de 6,1 % et le groupe de traitement est celui qui a eu le gain le plus élevé, soit de 12,1 %. Le score pré-test est un prédicteur significatif (R2corrigé = 0,562, F (7,324) = 61,73, p < 0,01) du score post-test, ce qui démontre le fait que les étudiants connaissant déjà les concepts de chimie en question au début du cours réussissent mieux que ceux ayant plusieurs idées fausses. Aucune différence statistiquement significative n’a été observée entre les résultats aux tests et la langue d’enseignement au secondaire. Bien que ni la cohorte ni le traitement ne soient des prédicteurs significatifs des scores post-tests, les résultats indiquent le traitement a eu un effet significatif pour les hommes (R2corrigé = 0,497, F (5,145) = 30,65, p = 0,00685) mais pas pour les femmes. Autrement dit, les hommes ont beaucoup plus bénéficier du traitement que les femmes. L’analyse de variance à un facteur contrôlé a démontré que le sexe était un prédicteur significatif des scores dans la plupart des éléments tant dans le pré-test (14 de 22 questions, F(1, 330) = 5,19, MSE = 0,25, p < 0,024) que dans le post-test (19 de 22 questions, F(1, 330) = 8,42, MSE = 0,25, p < 0,004). Les données combinées indiquent l’existence d’un écart entre les sexes dans le cours d’introduction à la chimie au niveau collégial, une caractéristique qui n’avait pas été rapportée dans les études antérieures faites avec l’ICC. La comparaison entre les idées fausses des étudiants de première année du cégep et celles des étudiants américains de première année à l’université a permis de déterminer les concepts les plus difficiles pour lesquels les gains d’apprentissage mesurés étaient négligeables ou non observés. Cette étude indique que les notions portant sur l’échelle microscopique et la taille des atomes, la distinction entre les propriétés physiques et chimiques de la matière agrégée par rapport aux propriétés de ses constituants moléculaires, ainsi que les changements d’énergie dans la formation et la rupture des liaisons chimiques, font partie des concepts les plus incompris et difficiles décelés avec l’ICC. Les résultats soulignent les difficultés rencontrées par les étudiants quant à la représentation en triplet en chimie, dont la compréhension nécessite la distinction entre le modèle particulaire utilisé pour décrire la matière, la compréhension des propriétés chimiques et physiques affichées dans les expériences de laboratoire, et les représentations symboliques utilisées pour décrire les phénomènes. Les tendances observées chez les étudiants américains de premier cycle concernant les types d’idées fausses identifiées et l’ampleur des gains d’apprentissage normalisés sont similaires à celles identifiées par cette étude, ce qui indique la validité et la fiabilité de l’ICC comme outil d’analyse d’apprentissage conceptuel dans les classes de chimie au niveau cégep. La création de plans de cours qui forcent les étudiants à s’engager dans le transfert de concepts et d’idées clés vers de nouveaux cadres est primordiale pour les aider à mieux comprendre la chimie en adoptant un modèle approprié pour chaque contexte spécifique. Cette étude éclaire des enjeux cruciaux liées au développement de cursus en tentant de tracer l’étendue conceptuelle des étudiants de première année du cégep et en analysant les conséquences de l’enseignement sur les gains d’apprentissage. L’indication que des activités en classe basées sur des simulations informatiques peuvent améliorer l’apprentissage conceptuel mérite une étude plus approfondie. Les résultats de cette étude peuvent être utilisés pour guider des discussions pédagogiques bénéfiques entre les enseignants de chimie qui souhaitent aligner les pré-connaissances, l’enseignement, le curriculum et l’évaluation des élèves

Teaching Primary Science with Computer Simulation – an Intervention Study in State of Kuwait

This thesis describes an investigation into use of interactive computer simulations software in primary science education. The research questions are what effects teaching with interactive computer simulations have on students’ achievement, their conceptual change in particular science topics and on their attitudes. The question was investigated in an intervention study that tested use of simulations in two different pedagogical environments. The first environment used simulations in a computer laboratory, with students using blended learning (combining computer-based learning with non-computer learning). In this environment students worked independently on the computer. The second environment is class teaching. In this environment, the simulation was used on one computer, controlled by the teacher, in front of the class. The study also investigated ease of use and looked into practical consideration of computer-based teaching expressed by students and teachers. Three science topics were studied. The novelty of the research is using computer simulations in an Arabic nation, which has widespread use of traditional didactic-oriented pedagogy. Recent educational reforms have made demand for more student-oriented teaching, with use of practical experiments in primary science. This major change is difficult to implement for practical reasons, and the study therefore asks if computer simulations may work as an alternative approach to reach the same aims. The theoretical frameworks for the study are constructivism, conceptual change and cognitive multi-media theory. The first of these looks at the role of the student in learning, the second takes into consideration that students enter school with intuitive knowledge about natural phenomena and the last explains learning with use of computers. The theoretical frameworks were used to guide development of the simulation software and the intervention. The participants were 365 students in year five (10-11 year olds) and eight science teachers in Kuwait, located at eight different primary schools. All schools were single sex, with half the schools of each gender. All teachers were female. The study used a quasi-experimental design and separated the students into two experimental groups and two control groups. The first experimental group, which used simulations in computer labs, had 91 students in four primary schools (two boys’ and two girls’ schools). A matching control group with the same number of students was established in the same schools. The other experiment group had 92 students using simulations in the classroom. This group was also matched with an appropriate control group. The eight teachers taught both experimental and control group students. The control groups used traditional teaching. The experiment was carried out in the academic year 2010-2011. The study measured effects of the interventions with pre- and post achievement tests and attitude questionnaires. Students in the experimental groups also answered a usability questionnaire. A sub-sample of students and all teachers were interviewed for triangulation of the questionnaire data and to learn more about experiences with using the simulation software. The results of the study revealed no statistically significant difference (at the 0.05 level) in achievement or attitude between the students who used computer simulations in the computer laboratory. Students, however, who were taught with simulations in the classroom scored significantly higher on both achievement tests and attitude questionnaires. This benefit applied also to conceptual change of specific topics. In general, the interviews revealed that science teachers and students were satisfied with the simulation program used in science teaching and learning. However, the interviews indicated that there were some problems related to infrastructure and use of computers in the teaching that might have influenced the outcome of the study. These problems are relevant also to use of computer simulations in science teaching more widely