The effect of a conceptual change approach on understanding of students’ chemical equilibrium concepts

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of a conceptual change approach over traditional instruction on tenth‐grade students’ conceptual achievement in understanding chemical equilibrium. The study was conducted in two classes of the same teacher with participation of a total of 44 tenth‐grade students. In this study, a pre‐test/post‐test control group semi‐experimental design pattern was used. During teaching the topic of chemical equilibrium concepts in the chemistry curriculum, a conceptual change approach was applied in the experimental group whereas traditional instruction was followed in the control group. Data were analysed with an independent samples t‐test, and an analysis of covariance using the pre‐test scores as the covariate. The results showed that the conceptual change approach was statistically more effective than traditional instruction in terms of students’ conceptual understanding. After the six‐week intervention, interviews were conducted with 18 selected students in the study. In the interviews a prevailing alternative conception was detected beside many alternative conceptions. When they were asked to compare equilibrium constants of two different reactions they mostly responded to mean that ‘the bigger the mol number of the products, the bigger the equilibrium constant’ without considering what proportions the reactants were transformed into products in a reaction. Also, in this study a two‐tier multiple choice test was developed related to chemical equilibrium to detect students’ concepts and alternative concepts.     

Design and Development of a Computer Learning Environment on the Basis of Students' Initial Conceptions and Learning Difficulties About Chemical Equilibrium

This paper describes the design and development of an interactive learning environment inspired from the constructivist view of learning and aiming at helping students improve their conceptions about chemical equilibrium. The design of the software was based on data that emerged from research we undertook with 175 Greek students (aged 17–18), in order to detect their conceptions and learning difficulties about chemical equilibrium. The students' answers to a written questionnaire showed that they had inadequate representations of systems of substances at chemical equilibrium related to the empirical and the atomic level, manifested serious difficulties in conceiving the initial situation of a system at chemical equilibrium and the equilibrium shift, made overextended use of the Le Chatelier principle and applied intuitive personal rules instead of the equilibrium constant law. The aim of this computer application is to help students to create and/or improve their own representations about substances at chemical equilibrium in the empirical, atomic and symbolic level, to establish appropriate links among thes multiple representations, and to construct appropriate conceptions about the Le Chatelier principle and the equilibrium constant law. The software contains simulations and visualizations of experiments representing systems at chemical equilibrium, simulations of chemical reactions related to the atomic level, symbolic representations and dynamic graphs, and a step-by-step derivation of the equilibrium constant law.     

The Effect of Conflict Resolution Training on Turkish Elementary School Students: A Quasi-Experimental Investigation

This study investigated the effect of conflict resolution training on Turkish elementary school students' conflict resolution strategies. The participants were 54 fourth grade students. A pre-test, post-test, follow-up control group quasi-experimental design was used. Two 4th grade classes were selected out of three eligible 4th grade classes on the basis of Conflict Scenario Written Measure (Johnson, Johnson, & Dudley, 1992) and randomly assigned as control and experimental group. The experimental group consisted of 28 students (17 boys, 11 girls) and the control group consisted of 26 students (15 boys, 11 girls). Those in experimental group received 45 minutes of conflict resolution training twice a week, for four weeks. The results indicated that treatment was effective in changing the conflict resolution strategies used by the experimental group subjects in three different hypothetical situations and this effect was maintained six months after the treatment.     

无机化学中化学平衡常数的推导

在现行的无机化学教课书中,化学平衡常数有三种完全不同的推导方式．对于化学工作者,弄清究竟哪一种推导最为合情合理尽管相当重要,但是,更有意义的是研究这些推导过程中所引出的新的问题．     

Promoting Pre-service Elementary Students' Understanding of Chemical Equilibrium through Discussions in Small Groups

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of small group discussion on students' conceptual understanding of chemical equilibrium. Students' understanding of chemical equilibrium concepts was measured using the Misconception Identification Test. The test consisted of 30 items and administered as pre-posttests to a total of 81 pre-service elementary students in two intact classes of the same university. One of the classes was randomly assigned as experimental group (n = 40) which was instructed with discussion propositions related to chemical equilibrium concepts in small group and the other class was assigned as control group (n = 41) which was instructed through traditionally designed chemistry instruction. Analysis of covariate (ANCOVA) was used to determine treatment effects on students' conceptual understanding of chemical equilibrium when pre-test result was used a covariate. The analysis of results showed a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups' posttest mean scores in favor of the experimental group after treatment (F(1,78) = 47,77; P < 0.05). The results indicated that while the average percentage of students in the experimental group holding a scientifically correct concept had risen from 35.0% to 59.1%, a gain of 24.1%, the percentage of correct responses of the students in the control group had increased from 32.5% to 43.82%, a gain of 11.32% after treatment. In addition, the percentages of students' correct responses and keyed misconceptions on posttest results were discussed for six areas related to: (1) the mass vs. concentration, (2) rate vs. extent, (3) constancy of the equilibrium constant, (4) misuse of Le Chatelier's principle, (5) constant concentration, and (6) competing equilibria related to chemical equilibrium concepts in experimental and control groups.     

Preventing Violence by Promoting the Development of Competent Conflict Resolution Skills: Exploring Roles and Responsibilities

This article explores the relationship between conflict and violence through a review of the literature about young children's conflict with their peers. Information about the nature of young children's conflicts and how teachers respond is presented and discussed in relation to 3 questions. First, do conflicts between children lead to violence? Second, what constitutes competent conflict resolution behavior? Third, how do children develop competent conflict resolution skills? This review of the literature indicates that conflicts between children do not naturally lead to violence. Rather, it is when children are unable to resolve their own conflicts, and when they are not supported in their efforts at resolutions, that violence is likely to result. While conflicts with peers provide a natural opportunity for children to develop competent conflict resolution skills, teachers must provide assistance as needed. Suggestions for further reading on this topic are provided.     

The conceptual change approach to improving teaching and learning: An evaluation of a Hong Kong staff development programme

This paper reports a study ofthe effectiveness of an innovative approach tostaff development, the conceptual changeapproach, which attempts to change teachers'frameworks for conceptualising teaching andlearning. The evaluation investigated theprogramme at three levels: the impact on theconceptions of teaching of the participants,the resultant impact on teaching practices, andthe consequential effect on student learning.Encouraging results were obtained. Theprogramme brought about detectable conceptualchange or conceptual development in two-thirdsof the sample group. Subsequently, all the`changed' teachers received better ratings ontheir teaching practices from their students inthe following academic year while none of thosewho did not change their conceptions showedsimilar gains in student rating scores. Aresultant positive impact on their students'studying approaches was observed for half ofthe teachers who changed their conceptions.     

由单组分浓度的测定求连串反应平衡常数的极限值

介绍了利用求极值的方法 ,通过对反应体系中单组分平衡浓度的测定 ,求连串反应的平衡常数。     

一项关于中国工科学生英语学习策略使用的调查

文章用问卷调查的方式了解了中国工科学生英语学习策略的使用.该研究的目的是为了找到:1)中国工科学生所使用的英语学习策略类型;2)学习策略的选择与学习者性别的关系.研究使用SILL问卷来收集数据,但稍作了些改动.数据统计分析发现工科学生使用最多的学习策略为补偿策略.而使用最少的为社交策略.学习者的性别对于策略的使用有很大的影响.     

大学生心理健康教育的新视野:冲突教育初探

人际交往和人际关系问题是影响大学生心理健康的重要因素,提高人际交往的能力和水平是大学生心理健康教育的重要内容。人际交往中,人际冲突是一种常见的社会现象,大学生如果不能正确认识和合理应对人际冲突,势必对个体心理健康和人际交往造成一定的负面影响。新形势下高校应该重视和加强对大学生的冲突教育,提高大学生人际交往能力和心理健康水平。     

Enhancement of Quality in Chemical Inquiry by Pre-University Students

Our pre-university chemistry students face problems achieving sufficient quality in chemical inquiry. To try to enhance the quality of student performance in chemical inquiry, Dutch pre-university chemistry students (age 17) carried out an authentic research project on Diffusion of ions in distilled water. The learning materials for this student inquiry project, the teaching scenario and the website were designed in cooperation with five chemistry teachers. Three teachers from this network and two other teachers also implemented the project with 80 students to find out whether the emphasis on relevant concepts of evidence (CoE) improves the quality of student inquiry outcomes. This part – with its emphasis on the CoE – in the student inquiry task is based on four key features: the students feel motivated to explore, focus their attention on, give meaning to and reflect upon CoE. In teams students conducted a guide experiment, analysed a scientific article, did an inquiry and wrote a report, discussed CoE with peers on the Internet and rewrote their reports. All lessons were observed, field notes were made and analysed on whether the intended student activities had been realised. The Internet discussion was recorded in a database and analysed. The first and final reports of all teams were coded and analysed. Also the students appreciation of the activities was assessed. The teaching and learning activities were realized to a very large extent as planned in the design. The emphasis on CoE resulted in 65% of the students achieving a sufficient level of quality in their final reports.     

新职教园区学生心理安全问题预防与应对策略

新职教园区学生心理安全存在极大隐患,迫切需要建立学生心理安全监控预警、教育预防、紧急应对体系,尤其是完善"讲、训、辅、行"多元化、多途径教育辅导体系,促进学生心理成长成熟,提高心理健康水平和应对能力,将学生心理安全问题解决在萌芽状态,避免和减少心理安全事件的发生。     

广东省高等职业院校学生评教问题与对策研究

通过对广东省71所高等职业院校学生评教的组织机构、形式、内容、结果及应用、影响因素等方面进行问卷调查,分析了被调查学校学生评教管理现状及存在问题,并尝试提出具体对策。     

论幼师学生情感教育的现状、问题与对策

目前有关幼师学生情感教育的相关研究虽然取得了一定的成果,但仍还有待进一步深入研究。在当前的幼师学生情感教育过程中存在着重视教师的情感投入,忽视学生的情感调动;重视认知中有情感,忽视以情感促认知;重视片面单一的情感培养,忽视全面系统的情感激发。鉴于此,可以通过培养学生对自尊心的呵护、突显学生主体性功能、培养学生良好的"五心"、开发系列情感教育课程等策略有效推进幼师情感教育的进一步发展。     

精细化工实验中学生创新思维能力的培养

在精细化工实验教学中,运用创新思维观念,培养学生的发散思维、辩证批判思维和隐喻联想思维,有利于开阔学生的视野,教学效果显著。     

英汉成语翻译策略

本文旨在理解中外有关翻译原则的基础上,探讨解决英汉成语翻译问题的策略。应视作者意图、文本类型、时代特征、翻译目的以及读者的接受能力而随时调整翻译方法。     

《比较教育研究》1998-2004年论文研究策略统计分析

比较教育是否有自己的研究方法历来是比较教育领域中备受争议的话题之一,同时也是造成比较教育身份危机的原因之一。本研究采用实证方法对1998-2004年《比较教育研究》杂志所刊载的论文中使用的研究方法进行统计分析,以期在一定程度上对中国比较教育的研究方法的发展现状与趋势形成客观、直观的印象,并对比较教育方法论的争论做出理解。     

大学生弱势群体就业难现状及对策分析

弱势大学生群体在就业过程中因遭遇到歧视和不公而产生的认识偏差及心理问题等,影响了社会的和谐稳定,践踏了社会民主和法治,加大了大学生就业难度。本文着重分析了女大学生、贫困生、有生理疾患的学生、残疾生和容貌不佳的学生等弱势群体的就业难现状及其危害,并建议从制定政策、完善法律、加强心理辅导等方面消除就业歧视,推进大学生无障碍就业。     

推行国家助学贷款中的问题与对策研究

国家助学贷款已于2000年在高校全面启动,引起了强烈反响,成为全社会关注的热点。在实施过程中,学生、学校、银行和国家针对各自所承担的不同权利与义务,表现出各不相同的态度,也暴露出一些问题。加强对推行国家助学贷款中存在问题的研究,并提出相应的对策和建议,有助于此项工作顺利及深入地开展。