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INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN ANALOGY ACTIVITY IN IMPROVING STUDENTS’ CONCEPTUAL CHANGE FOR SOLUTION CHEMISTRY CONCEPTS

International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education volume 7, pages 651–676 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

This paper reports on an investigation on the use of an analogy activity and seeks to provide evidence of whether the activity enables students to change alternative conceptions towards views more in accord with scientific views for aspects of solution chemistry. We were also interested in how robust any change was and whether these changes in conceptual thinking became embedded in the students’ long-term memory. The study has its theoretical basis in an interpretive paradigm, and used multiple methods to probe the issues in depth. Data collection consisted of two concept test items, one-on-one interviews, and student self-assessment. The sample consisted of 44 Grade 9 students selected from two intact classes (22 each), from Trabzon, Turkey. The interviews were conducted with six students selected because of evidence as to their significant conceptual change in solution chemistry. The research findings revealed statistically significant differences in pre-test and post-test scores, and pre-test and delayed post-test scores (p<0.05), but no differences between post-test and delayed test scores (p>0.05). This suggests that the analogy activity is helpful in enhancing students’ conceptual understanding of solution chemistry, and that these changes may be stored in the students’ long-term memory.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. KTU, Fatih Faculty of Education, Department of Primary Teacher Education, 61335, Söğütlü-Trabzon, Turkey

    Muammer Çalik

  2. Fatih Faculty of Education, Department of Secondary Science and Mathematics Education, 61335, Söğütlü–Trabzon, Turkey

    Alipaşa Ayas

  3. Centre for Science & Technology Education Research, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand

    Richard K. Coll

Authors
  1. Muammer Çalik
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  2. Alipaşa Ayas
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  3. Richard K. Coll
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Correspondence to Muammer Çalik.

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Çalik, M., Ayas, A. & Coll, R.K. INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN ANALOGY ACTIVITY IN IMPROVING STUDENTS’ CONCEPTUAL CHANGE FOR SOLUTION CHEMISTRY CONCEPTS. Int J of Sci and Math Educ 7, 651–676 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-008-9136-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-008-9136-9

Key words

  • analogy
  • chemistry education
  • conceptual change
  • conceptual understanding
  • types of solutions