Learning Difficulties in the Interpretation of Matter at the Molecular Level by University Students—A Case Study: Dissolution of Oxygen in Water
This study examines an example of the alternative conceptions and conceptual errors of students at the higher education level in a scientific context. It begins by introducing the significance and characteristics of preconceptions and alternative ideas or alternative conceptions, highlighting their...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Education Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/13/8/781 |
| _version_ | 1797584970392272896 |
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| author | Gabriel Pinto Carlos M. Castro-Acuña Isabel López-Hernández Victoria Alcázar Montero |
| author_facet | Gabriel Pinto Carlos M. Castro-Acuña Isabel López-Hernández Victoria Alcázar Montero |
| author_sort | Gabriel Pinto |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study examines an example of the alternative conceptions and conceptual errors of students at the higher education level in a scientific context. It begins by introducing the significance and characteristics of preconceptions and alternative ideas or alternative conceptions, highlighting their impact on students’ misconceptions. Using the dissolution of a gas (oxygen) in a liquid (water) as the case study, and based on the answers to a questionnaire, this work analyzes the responses by university students which, in most cases, lack scientific rigor. The questionnaire used in this study has been designed in such a way that students provide three types of answers: the first is a yes/no/do not know question; the second is a short answer question to briefly explain the previous answer; and the third is a drawing answer question in which students are required to interpret the phenomenon at the molecular level by drawing a picture. Surprisingly, minimal differences were observed between the university students enrolled in Bachelor’s degree programs (Chemical Engineering or Industrial Engineering) and Master’s degree programs (Master’s Degree in Teacher Training), over the five years (from 2018/19 to 2022/23) covered by this study. Only about 11% of the students provided acceptable reasoning, while the rest demonstrated alternative conceptions. These alternative conceptions encompassed concepts such as the formation of oxygenated water instead of the dissolution, the belief that gases do not dissolve in liquids, confusion about atomic and molecular levels, difficulties in interpreting scientific language, and reliance on simplistic and naïve ideas, among others. After the teacher’s review, the questionnaire and students’ answers were discussed in class in order to detect and correct errors. Approximately one month later, the students were asked to repeat the same questionnaire, when it was observed that the number of correct answers, showing adequate reasoning, had increased to 75%. The results of this study, using a very simple questionnaire that only takes 10 min, could be valuable for guiding teachers to question and transform their pedagogical content knowledge in order to improve the transmission of scientific content, which may involve difficulties that, a priori, were not expected in university students. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:59:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6b11e5b1ec364f6caf212e0fc413b1ba |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-7102 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:59:12Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Education Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-6b11e5b1ec364f6caf212e0fc413b1ba2023-11-19T00:51:24ZengMDPI AGEducation Sciences2227-71022023-08-0113878110.3390/educsci13080781Learning Difficulties in the Interpretation of Matter at the Molecular Level by University Students—A Case Study: Dissolution of Oxygen in WaterGabriel Pinto0Carlos M. Castro-Acuña1Isabel López-Hernández2Victoria Alcázar Montero3Departamento de Ingeniería Química Industrial y del Medio Ambiente, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (ETSII-UPM), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, SpainDepartamento de Fisicoquímica, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad de México 04510, MexicoDepartamento de Lingüística Aplicada a la Ciencia y a la Tecnología, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (ETSII-UPM), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, SpainDepartamento de Ingeniería Química Industrial y del Medio Ambiente, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (ETSII-UPM), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, SpainThis study examines an example of the alternative conceptions and conceptual errors of students at the higher education level in a scientific context. It begins by introducing the significance and characteristics of preconceptions and alternative ideas or alternative conceptions, highlighting their impact on students’ misconceptions. Using the dissolution of a gas (oxygen) in a liquid (water) as the case study, and based on the answers to a questionnaire, this work analyzes the responses by university students which, in most cases, lack scientific rigor. The questionnaire used in this study has been designed in such a way that students provide three types of answers: the first is a yes/no/do not know question; the second is a short answer question to briefly explain the previous answer; and the third is a drawing answer question in which students are required to interpret the phenomenon at the molecular level by drawing a picture. Surprisingly, minimal differences were observed between the university students enrolled in Bachelor’s degree programs (Chemical Engineering or Industrial Engineering) and Master’s degree programs (Master’s Degree in Teacher Training), over the five years (from 2018/19 to 2022/23) covered by this study. Only about 11% of the students provided acceptable reasoning, while the rest demonstrated alternative conceptions. These alternative conceptions encompassed concepts such as the formation of oxygenated water instead of the dissolution, the belief that gases do not dissolve in liquids, confusion about atomic and molecular levels, difficulties in interpreting scientific language, and reliance on simplistic and naïve ideas, among others. After the teacher’s review, the questionnaire and students’ answers were discussed in class in order to detect and correct errors. Approximately one month later, the students were asked to repeat the same questionnaire, when it was observed that the number of correct answers, showing adequate reasoning, had increased to 75%. The results of this study, using a very simple questionnaire that only takes 10 min, could be valuable for guiding teachers to question and transform their pedagogical content knowledge in order to improve the transmission of scientific content, which may involve difficulties that, a priori, were not expected in university students.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/13/8/781alternative conceptionsatomic–molecular interpretation of phenomenamisconceptionpedagogical content knowledge (PCK)pre-existing ideasolubility of oxygen in water |
| spellingShingle | Gabriel Pinto Carlos M. Castro-Acuña Isabel López-Hernández Victoria Alcázar Montero Learning Difficulties in the Interpretation of Matter at the Molecular Level by University Students—A Case Study: Dissolution of Oxygen in Water Education Sciences alternative conceptions atomic–molecular interpretation of phenomena misconception pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) pre-existing idea solubility of oxygen in water |
| title | Learning Difficulties in the Interpretation of Matter at the Molecular Level by University Students—A Case Study: Dissolution of Oxygen in Water |
| title_full | Learning Difficulties in the Interpretation of Matter at the Molecular Level by University Students—A Case Study: Dissolution of Oxygen in Water |
| title_fullStr | Learning Difficulties in the Interpretation of Matter at the Molecular Level by University Students—A Case Study: Dissolution of Oxygen in Water |
| title_full_unstemmed | Learning Difficulties in the Interpretation of Matter at the Molecular Level by University Students—A Case Study: Dissolution of Oxygen in Water |
| title_short | Learning Difficulties in the Interpretation of Matter at the Molecular Level by University Students—A Case Study: Dissolution of Oxygen in Water |
| title_sort | learning difficulties in the interpretation of matter at the molecular level by university students a case study dissolution of oxygen in water |
| topic | alternative conceptions atomic–molecular interpretation of phenomena misconception pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) pre-existing idea solubility of oxygen in water |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/13/8/781 |
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