Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate if students can make a distinction between the properties of a metal object and the properties of an atom inside the same object. We wanted also to study how students respond to different questions which from the physicists’ point of view are similar. The questionnaire was administrated for secondary school and high school pupils, physics students, physics and mathematics teacher trainees at a university, preservice elementary teachers and for engineering students. Data was collected in Finland and in Russian Karelia. We found that generally students have poor conceptions of the properties of matter. The result might be interpreted that the formulation of the questions affects students’ thinking.
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References
Ben-Zvi, R., Eylon, B. S. & Silberstein, J. (1986). Is an Atom of Copper Malleable? Journal of Chemical Education 63 (1), 64–66.
Tirosh, D. & Stavy, R. (1996). Intuitive rules in science and mathematics: the case ‘Everything can be divided by two’. International Journal of Science Education 18 (6), 669–683.
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© 1999 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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Viiri, J., Hirvonen, P.E., Saari, H., Sormunen, K., Nisimov, S.U. (1999). Is an Iron Atom Made of Iron?. In: Bandiera, M., Caravita, S., Torracca, E., Vicentini, M. (eds) Research in Science Education in Europe. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9307-6_12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9307-6_12
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-90-481-5218-6
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