Teaching the subject of ionic and molecular compounds based on visualization and games to prevent misconceptions for the students of the first secondary level

Document Type : Original research

Authors

1 Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training university

2 Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University

Abstract

Chemical bonding is a fundamental concept in chemistry and can be quite abstract, often disconnected from students' daily experiences. The atom and its structure, as well as how it interacts with other atoms, are not visible to the naked eye. Therefore, it is important to make extra efforts to understand these concepts thoroughly and prevent potential misconceptions during the learning process. It is generally easier to prevent misconceptions on the first place than trying to correct them later. To develop an effective teaching approach that prevents misconceptions, it is essential to first identify potential misconceptions about the subject. This was accomplished through a review of past research. After identifying these misconceptions, relevant teaching content was compiled. After studying and identifying misconceptions, content was developed for teaching, and efforts were made to engage students in the classroom and outside of school through experiments, visualization, activities during the lessons, model building, creating a bulletin board on the applications of ionic and molecular compounds, comparing these compounds with each other, and designing games, in order to engage the learners inside and outside the class and achieve sustainable learning. The research was applied-descriptive in nature, with students being tested on the subject matter following the implementation of teaching strategies. The test questions covered various cognitive areas and consisted of multiple-choice and two-part questions. The first part required students to choose the correct option, while the second part asked them to provide a reason for their choice. This second part helped differentiate between students who had a correct understanding and those with misconceptions. The findings of the research revealed that the specially designed content significantly improved learning outcomes in the experimental group compared to the control group, effectively preventing misunderstandings.

Keywords

Research in Chemistry Education

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 22 August 2024

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