This paper reports on an interview study of 18 Grade 10-12 students' model-based reasoning of a chemical reaction: the reaction of magnesium and oxygen at the submicro level. It has been proposed that chemical reactions can be conceptualised using two models: (i) the "particle model," in which a reaction is regarded as the simple…

There is a huge body of research supporting a positive correlation between teachers' content knowledge and better pedagogical practice. In this context, this study revealed serious gaps in a cohort of preservice physics teachers' understanding of the simple pendulum. It also pointed to their poor grasp of some fundamental concepts in physics.…

Students' alternative conceptions of force are one of the most studied topics, important for both science assessment and instruction. Previous studies often described students' alternative conceptions of force with a small number of well-known frameworks by utilizing interviews and paper-pencil tests in their assessments. This study aims to…

Sensory integration dysfunction (SID, also known as sensory processing disorder, SPD) is a condition that exists when a person's multisensory integration fails to process and respond adequately to the demands of the environment. Children with SID (CwSID) are also learners with disabilities with regard to responding adequately to the demands made…

Background and purpose: Chemistry examinations can favour the deployment of algorithmic procedures like Le Chatelier's Principle (LCP) rather than reasoning using chemical principles. This study investigated the explanatory resources which high school students use to answer equilibrium problems and whether the marks given for examination answers…

This study identifies some alternative conceptions of chemical kinetics held by secondary school and undergraduate students (N = 191) in Turkey. Undergraduate students who participated are studying to become chemistry teachers when they graduate. Students' conceptions about chemical kinetics were elicited through a series of written tasks and…

This study aimed at identifying specifically prospective chemistry teachers' difficulties in determining the differences between the concepts of chemical thermodynamics and kinetics. Data were collected from 67 prospective chemistry teachers at Kazim Karabekir Education Faculty of Ataturk University in Turkey during 2005-2006 academic year. Data…

This study focused on high school students' conceptions and substantial concept change learning processes when studying the kinetic theory of gases. The study was conducted in 1998 in four classes of a public metropolitan high school in South Korea. Data was collected through semistructured and in-depth interviews and participant observation of…