Multiple representation-based cognitive dissonance: A strategy to reduce misconception in chemistry learning

Abstract

Cognitive dissonance represents someone’s cognition discrepancy on a particular concept and then encouraging the person to comprehend that specific concept better. Cognitive dissonance can be constructed through the use of multiple representations in chemistry learning. Chemistry learning’s nature always involves abstract and complex concepts. Therefore, students mostly face difficulty understanding chemical concepts so that they experience misconceptions. This study seeks to describes the syntax of cognitive dissonance combined with multiple representations to illustrate the implementations of multiple representation based cognitive dissonance strategies (MRCD) in reducing the students’ misconception within chemistry learning. It descriptively examined the articles related to cognitive dissonance and multiple representations. The obtained data were secondary in the form of relevant research articles. The data were analyzed using a descriptive qualitative technique. The study results suggest that multiple representation-based cognitive dissonances consist of a number of phases, namely the prerequisite knowledge, creation of cognitive dissonance, implementation of attained knowledge, and reflection. Each of those phases involves multiple representations. In the end, the multiple representations-based cognitive dissonance strategy that refers to syntax has been confirmed to effectively reduce students’ misconception and improve the learning quality. The multiple representation-based cognitive dissonance strategy should be adopted in chemistry learning since it facilitates students to construct abstract chemical knowledge. Further, this strategy can bring the utmost results if combine with the constructivist learning model.