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ÇALIK M.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS EDUCATION, vol.3, pp.671-696, 2005 (SSCI)
Abstract
This study reports on research examining what students think about aspects
of solution chemistry and seeks to establish what alternative conceptions they hold
in this area. To achieve this aim the researchers developed a test comprising of openended
questions that evaluated students understanding of solution chemistry. The test was
administered to 441 students selected randomly from different grades, grade 7 through
grade 10. The research findings suggest that students have difficulty at comprehending the
investigated concepts in solution chemistry. Alternative conceptions about the concepts
of dissolution, chemical bonding, evaporation and condensation influence latter learning.
Interestingly, the grade 9 students have the least percentages, except for Item 3, amongst
grades in terms of alternative conception. Also, students’ alternative conceptions are also
stored in long-term memory and interact with each another. In the light of the findings,
it can be suggested that the future research may need to focus on classifying of students’
responses in terms of categories in understanding such as propositions, strings, images,
episode, intellectual skills and cognitive strategies.