Identifying Mental Models of Students for Physical and Chemical Change

Abstract

The right and wrong mental models that learners have about the changes in the matter have a great importance in understanding the basis of the chemistry. Therefore, the main purpose of this research was to identify students’ misconceptions with regard to physical and chemical change and to come up with models to explain their understanding of this topic. This research was qualitative descriptive with cross-sectional design. The participants were 148 6th graders in Kütahya which is a western city of Turkey. The data were collected through a questionnaire containing five open-ended questions. Additionally, for a more detailed analysis, 28 participants were interviewed to explore the mental models that emerged. Analysis of responses to the questionnaire generated four mental models (Particle Motion Model, Moving Away Particle Model, Particle Motion+Moving Away Particle Model, Macro Model) for physical change and three mental models for chemical change (Changing Particle Model, Moving Away Particle Model and Macro-Micro Change Model). Implications of these results for chemistry education were discussed. Mental models defined in the research can enable teachers of science and researchers to identify difficulties faced by students regarding physical and chemical changes; thus, they can effectively decide which approach to take on to devise scientific models. Keywords: chemical change, chemistry education, mental model, misconceptions, physical change.

Measuring changes in hydrolysis concept of students taught by inquiry model: stacking and racking analysis techniques in Rasch model

“…Central to defining the quality of pedagogical innovation in science classes is conceptual changes. The changes refer to how ideas or conceptions the students understand according to their ways of thinking [ 1 , 2 ] become scientifically accurate [ 3 ]. It is because such ideas generally comprise misconceptions [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ], are not in accordance with scientific concepts [ 8 , 9 ], tend to be resistant [ 10 ], changeable and varied [ 11 ], so that they should be improved if the correct conceptual understanding is to be taught [ 12 , 13 ].…”

Rasch Modelling to Evaluate Reasoning Difficulties, Changes of Responses, and Item Misconception Pattern of Hydrolysis

“…Experts argue that all students -in all educational level -oftentimes do not understand; or only few who understand; or find difficulties in elaborating the linkages between concepts (Johnstone, 1991;Taber, 2019), as well as difficulties in explaining social-scientific problems with the knowledge in chemistry that they have learned in school (Bruder & Prescott, 2013;Kinslow et al, 2018;Owens et al, 2019). These types of difficulties commonly take place due to the students' conceptual understanding that they form according to their own thought process (Ausubel et al, 1978;Yildirir & Demirkol, 2018). This refers to the understanding that is formed based on the sensory impressions, cultural environment, peers, learning media, and learning process in class (Chandrasegaran et al, 2008;Lu & Bi, 2016), that contains misconception (Johnstone, 2006(Johnstone, , 2010Taber, 2002Taber, , 2009, and is divergent from scientific concepts (Alamina & Etokeren, 2018;Bradley & Mosimege, 1998;Damanhuri et al, 2016;Orwat et al, 2017;Yaşar et al, 2014).…”

Students’ mental models about the suspending objects in static fluid

“…There are several studies on mental models concerning the macroscopic or microscopic phenomena, such as those conducted by Kaniawati et al (2019), Nongkhunsarn et al (2019), Ozcan & Gercek (2015), as well as Yildirir & Demirkol (2014). Other researchers include Adbo & Taber (2009), Bonnefon (2004), Borges (1999), Corpuz &Rebello (2011), andBrewer (1992).…”