Exploring prospective chemistry teachers’ perceptions of precipitation, conception of precipitation reactions and visualization of the sub-microscopic level of precipitation reactions

Abstract

In this study, how prospective chemistry teachers (PCTs) perceive precipitation and conceptualize precipitation reactions at the symbolic level was explored. Further, it was of interest to identify PCTs’ visualization of the sub-microscopic level of precipitation reactions. The sample was drawn from the Chemistry Education Department at the Education Faculty of a Turkish Public University. A total of 46 PCTs (10 in the 4th semester, 15 in the 6th semester, and 21 in the 8th semester) participated in the study. The data were collected using an instrument with three open-ended questions developed by the authors and with interviews. It was revealed that the PCTs thought about precipitation in qualitatively different ways depending on their practices of phenomena. The PCTs’ perceptions of precipitation were grouped into three issues coded as (1) reacting two salt solutions, (2) undissolved solid and (3) residue. It was found that half of the PCTs (24 of the 46 PCTs) did not use state symbols when writing the precipitation equations and more than half of them included the molecular dissolution features in their drawings. It was suggested that instruction should be to address incorporating a relation between the sub-microscopic, symbolic and macroscopic levels by using the animations.

Análisis de la comprensión y razonamiento epistémico de los estudiantes sobre los equilibrios de solubilidad

“…Numerosas investigaciones han señalado la existencia de dificultades en la comprensión de los equilibrios de solubilidad, aunque se han centrado fundamentalmente en el estudio de problemas numéricos relacionados con el producto de solubilidad (Setiowati et al, 2018;Nakiboğlu y Nakiboğlu, 2019;Muchson et al, 2020).…”

Effect of mnemonics enhanced tutorial on chemistry education students’ achievement and mindfulness in a university

“…Science education is the teaching and learning of science subjects including chemistry in schools, colleges and universities. Unfortunately, literature has proven that students at all levels have difficulty understanding chemistry for different reasons, but majorly for its abstract nature (Lu & Bi, 2016;Nakiboglu & Nakiboglu, 2019). It has been observed in the literature that studying chemistry is a stressful endeavor for many students causing poor academic achievement (Orimogunje, 2018).…”

Ortaöğretim Kimya Ders Kitaplarında Grafik Düzenleyici Kullanımı

“…Studies have shown that all level students have problems understanding chemistry topics and concepts (Nakhleh, 1992;Nakiboğlu, 2003;Nakiboğlu, 2006;Nakiboğlu and Nakiboğlu, 2019;Nyachwaya et al, 2011;Rahayu, Treagust and Chandrasegaran, 2021;Sanger and Greenbowe, 1997;Taber, 1994;Taber et all., 2012). The students can also have misconceptions about many chemistry concepts because chemistry concepts seem too abstract for students at this level.…”

“…One of the reasons related to the problematic nature of chemistry learning is that understanding chemistry needs declarative, procedural, and relational knowledge and problemsolving skills which can each of containing low or high levels of cognitive complexity. This requires that students construct the relationships between facts, concepts, and or ideas within a learning task (Nakiboğlu and Nakiboğlu, 2019;2021). Because of all these, the chemistry course is one of the most challenging courses in upper-secondary schools and teachers can benefit from many support materials to teach chemistry topics and concepts in their lessons (Nakiboğlu, 2018).…”