This research is, in its first part, addressed to identifying the misconceptions regarding the underlying scientific concepts at primary school level. Many researches deal with misconceptions in chemistry and the teaching techniques aimed to overcome them. Misconceptions are influential to students’ learning, making it more demanding and hindering the conceptual understanding, which results in learning difficulties if not addressed accordingly. The second part examines the effectiveness of web-based learning material (WBLM) on acquiring scientifically approved conceptions regarding particulate nature of matter (PNM), using e-learning strategy with WBLM. E-learning has been reported to be a promising strategy in various school subjects. Herein, it was applied in chemistry instruction.
Teaching strategies that link macroscopic observations with their interpretation at the submicro level were constructed. The aim was to facilitate more appropriate understanding of the concepts whose misunderstandings were identified in the first part of the study. The following variables were analyzed: previous knowledge on the subject matter, reasoning ability, acquired verbal knowledge, attitudes towards chemistry, learning preferences, motivation to learn, and socio-demographic status. The results were interpreted in the light of these findings.
Participants in the research were 8th grade students (13–14 years old) attending primary school. The study included the following topics from 8th grade primary school chemistry curriculum: structure of matter, states of matter, pure substances, and mixtures. The study design included the pilot and the main study. The aim of the pilot study was to test the adequacy of the instruments for collecting data, to assess the feasibility of the main study, and to detect potential difficulties in conducting research. The pilot study was conducted with total 108 participants while the main study included 191 participants. The teaching strategy with WBLM was applied in the experimental groups in the chemistry classroom (EG2) and as homework, in addition to the usual teacher-centered approach (EG1). The control group (CG) was taught in the usual way (teacher-centered approach). The results reflect the impact of the chosen strategy with WBLM. This strategy showed potential when applied in the classroom since EG2 students scored higher on the tests of knowledge than the students in EG1 and CG and possessed lower number of misconceptions. Scientific contribution of the doctoral dissertation in the field of didactics of chemistry teaching is in determining the potential contributions of e-learning for a more proper understanding of chemical concepts.
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