Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.15516/cje.v24i1.4115
Development of Conceptual Understanding of Physical and Chemical Changes at the Macroscopic, Submicroscopic and Symbolic Level: A Cross-Age Study
Katarina Putica
orcid.org/0000-0002-5609-2368
; Innovative Centre of the Faculty of Chemistry University of Belgrade Studentski trg 12-16, 11158 Belgrade, Serbia
Abstract
In order to explain the development of understanding of chemical concepts at the
macroscopic, submicroscopic and symbolic level over time, models of the expanding
triangle and rising iceberg are proposed. In order to validate the two models, this
study examined whether the depth of understanding of the concepts physical and
chemical changes at each of the levels significantly changes with the age of students,
whether selected age groups exhibit significant differences in understanding at the
three levels, and whether findings for these age groups differ. Therefore, 121 14-yearold,
108 16-year-old and 112 19-year-old students completed the test that checked
their understanding of the aforementioned concepts, at all three levels. The 16-
and 19-year-old students significantly outperformed the 14-year-old students at
each of the levels, while all age groups showed significantly better understanding
of physical and chemical changes at the macroscopic and symbolic, in comparison
to the submicroscopic level. It was concluded that, while the proposed models are
generally valid, the applied teaching approaches and the composition of the chemistry
curriculum have a profound impact on the development of students’ conceptual
understanding, at all three levels of chemistry knowledge.
Keywords
expanding triangle model; magnesium oxidation; rising iceberg model; sublimation of water
Hrčak ID:
280319
URI
Publication date:
18.5.2022.
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