Progression in primary school children's conceptions of burning: Toward an understanding of the concept of substance

Children's conceptions of burning were explored through observation and discussion or a number of challenging phenomena. Analysis of written responses showed that children's conceptions are both specific and contextually based, and that there is little coherence in the use of any one conception across phenomena. Progression across the primary school years can be described, however, in terms of children's growing confidence with the idea of transformation of substances and the analysis relates this to a model based on changing commitments to the notion of substance defined by properties, rather than history. The conceptual trajectories described in the study are broadly consistent with previous studies of secondary school children.     

Assessment of electrochemical concepts: a comparative study involving senior high-school students in Indonesia and Japan

This study investigated Indonesian and Japanese senior high-school students’ understanding of electrochemistry concepts.

Sample

The questionnaire was administered to 244 Indonesian and 189 Japanese public senior high-school students.

Design and methods

An 18-item multiple-choice questionnaire relating to five conceptual categories (reactions occurring during electrolysis, differences between electrolytic and voltaic cells, movement of ions in voltaic cells, poles in voltaic cells, voltaic cell reactions) was administered.

Results

The findings of this study show that difficulties and alternative conceptions previously reported in the literature are held equally by students from a developing and developed country, Indonesian and Japan respectively.

Conclusions

Collectively, the findings suggest that students’ understanding of electrochemistry concepts is relatively weak. Students from both samples shared common difficulties and displayed several alternative conceptions dealing with electrolysis, electricity flow, the voltaic cell and the electrode reactions. Not surprisingly, the students displayed limited consistency in understanding of the concepts in the five categories. This study has implications for teaching and learning, particularly in classroom discussions using models and computer animations in order to reinforce understanding at the sub-microscopic level.     

Development and validation of Online Classroom Learning Environment Inventory (OCLEI): The case of Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic

Learning Environments Research - This paper reports the development and validation of a new questionnaire to assess students' perceptions of the online learning environment in Indonesia during...     

AN ANALYSIS OF INDONESIAN AND JAPANESE STUDENTS’ UNDERSTANDINGS OF MACROSCOPIC AND SUBMICROSCOPIC LEVELS OF REPRESENTING MATTER AND ITS CHANGES

This study investigated Indonesian and Japanese students’ understandings of macroscopic and submicroscopic levels of representing matter and its changes and the difficulties they have with these concepts. A multiple-choice questionnaire was constructed and delivered to 447 Indonesian and 446 Japanese public senior high school students. The data were analyzed using quantitative and qualitative methods. The findings of the study show students’ understandings of macro- and submicroscopic levels are stronger for higher-grade levels, except that the Indonesian students’ pattern is slightly different. The average percentage of students responding correctly on the macroscopic level ranges between 62% and 69% (Indonesia) and between 58% and 73% (Japanese), whereas on the submicroscopic level ranges between 56% and 62% (Indonesian) and 44% and 66% (Japanese). Their understandings of the macroscopic level, however, are higher than for the submicroscopic level. The soundness of students’ understandings of the concepts increases with grade level, except for Indonesian pattern slightly different. The average percentage of students responding correctly ranges between 37% and 48% (Indonesian) and between 28% and 52% (Japanese). Furthermore, students’ level of sound understandings of the concepts is lower than their understandings on either the macroscopic level or the submicroscopic level. It is found that students have great difficulties with and hold some alternative conceptions of the concepts of homogeneous mixtures, phase changes from solid to liquid, and phase changes from solid to gas. The study has implications, for example, the use of several routes to meaningful learning and the careful use of technical words.     

UNDERSTANDING ACID�CBASE CONCEPTS: EVALUATING THE EFFICACY OF A SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT-CENTRED INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM IN INDONESIA

This study was a mixed quantitative–qualitative research to evaluate the efficacy of a designed student-centred instructional (DSCI) program for teaching about acids and bases. The teaching innovation was designed based on constructivist, hands-on inquiry and context-based approaches and implemented in seven 45-min lessons with a class of 36 grade 11 students (experimental group) from a public senior high school in Indonesia. Another class of 38 students (comparison group) from the same school was instructed using a traditional teacher-centred approach. Data were obtained using a (1) 12-item achievement test on acids and bases that was administered to both groups as a pretest and a posttest, (2) self-evaluation 13-item questionnaire on students’ perceptions of their competence and confidence in carrying out the inquiry activities that was administered to the experimental group and (3) 3-item open-ended questionnaire on students’ perceptions of the instructional process using the DSCI that was administered to the experimental group. The results of the study showed that the teaching innovation was effective in improving students’ understanding of acid–base concepts with significant difference between the two groups on the posttest mean scores. Moreover, the effectiveness of the innovation was supported by an increase in students’ interest in learning science as indicated by their (1) positive perceptions of their engagement and competence in doing inquiry activities, (2) positive perceptions of the learning environment and (3) positive outcome expectations. The findings have implications for chemistry teaching in any institution with similar achieving students as well as for the professional development of teachers.