An Exploration of Students’ Common Misconceptions in the Subject of Chemistry at Secondary Level

Abstract

Ideas, things, or actions that support us comprehend the worlds around us are referred to as concepts. Students' misunderstandings are frequently deep-rooted, instruction-resistant barriers to scientific concept acquisition that persist even after instruction. Misconceptions are components of a larger knowledge system that contains a number of interrelated ideas that students use to make sense of their lives, and they are particularly frequent in courses that are abstract in nature. The current study explored misconceptions of three basic concepts which are present in the textbook of grade 9th and literature also supported that most of the misconceptions are found in these topics. Atomic structure, compound structure, and chemical bonding are examples of these ideas. The sample included 15 chemistry students. A semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data. The interview transcripts were transcribed. Different misconceptions were explored about these topics. Teachers should include strategies for resolving misconceptions in their curriculum into their teacher's curriculum, and according to the study's results, instructors should be given the tools they need to recognize their students' misconceptions and adopt remedial teaching techniques.

Generating an Evidence-Based Guide to Scaffolding Sodium Chloride Dissolution Using the VisChem Approach

“…Building the guide from the student data allowed for focused recommendations for teaching moves to better support knowledge development around molecular-level dissolution processes. Both topics of intermolecular forces 27 and molecular motion 28 are proven areas of difficulty for students, and so, this work and teaching guide address a critical need in the high school chemistry curriculum.…”