Abstract
One of the complex units of chemistry education is acid-base equilibria, and learners have difficulty constructing cognitive structures on the subject. The aim of this study is to examine the conceptions of pre-service chemistry teachers with regard to weak acid-base equilibria using a diagnostic test. A qualitative research method was employed as the research design of the study. There were 57 pre-service chemistry teachers who were both graduates of a chemistry department in a faculty of science and participants of postgraduate teacher training programs in the study. The diagnostic assessment instrument was employed as a data collection instrument. The data were subjected to content analysis and coding separated them into groups. Pre-service teachers’ conceptions were defined via these groups. In the study, two groups were determined: sound understanding and rote learning. Two lower levels at the sound understanding level and four lower levels at the rote learning level were also determined. These categories revealed the misconceptions of pre-service chemistry teachers with regard to weak acid-base equilibria. It was observed that many pre-service teachers had immature cognitive structures in respect to weak acid-base equilibria.
Highlights
Mental conceptions constitute either a knowledge linking or a knowledge structuring
Sound (B) understanding more deep procedure for settings step by step surface and narrow approach mechanical memorization pure surface memorization in parts pure surface rote learning with misconception
Evaluation studies conducted before and after teaching on subjects where preservice teachers are assumed to have a certain level of background are valuable in terms of drawing attention to the consciousness and awareness of students for their own learning and promoting meaningful learning outcomes
Summary
Mental conceptions constitute either a knowledge linking or a knowledge structuring. The principal units of this relationship are conceptions (Doymus et al, 1998). Successive arguments built on rather unsteady knowledge lead to the shaping of poorly connected further concepts and rote learning rather than meaningful learning (Odabaşı Çimer & Ursavaş, 2012; Sharma et al, 2013; Taber, 2001, 2005). It is not the lack of relevant prior knowledge but the disunity between existing prior knowledge and the newly-presented material which brings about fragmentation in learning. When students hold a sound understanding, they learn concepts by linking and relating new information to prior knowledge, and they obtain more meaningful understanding with regard to concepts. If concepts are not understood, memory-dependent comprehension will inevitably be poor
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