Factors Influencing High School and University Students' Misconceptions about Chemical Bonding

Document Type : Review article

Authors

1 Chemistry teacher, Robat Karim, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Chemistry, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Students' misconceptions about chemical bonding have resulted from numerous factors. Identifying and examining these factors can be effective in eliminating them and improve the learning of students. The analytical-descriptive method is used for the preparation of this paper. Initially, we studied researchers' findings in different countries about students' misconception of chemical bonding in schools and college courses. Then we analyzed their results and summarized the factors involved in students' misconceptions. These factors have been studied and analyzed from various aspects, including how textbooks are written and how teachers teach them to students. We found that some factors, for example, too much emphasis on the octet rule, incorrect evaluation methods in schools and colleges, using the ball and stick models, previous misconceptions, etc. intensify this misconception. In the following, the textbooks of high school in our country (tenth, eleventh and twelfth grades) have been investigated from this point of view.

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