TY - JOUR
T1 - Assessment of electrochemical concepts
T2 - A comparative study involving senior high-school students in Indonesia and Japan
AU - Rahayu, Sri
AU - Treagust, David F.
AU - Chandrasegaran, A. L.
AU - Kita, Masakazu
AU - Ibnua, Suhadi
PY - 2011/7/1
Y1 - 2011/7/1
N2 - Background and purpose: This study investigated Indonesian and Japanese senior high-school students' understanding of electrochemistry concepts. Sample: The questionnaire was administered to 244 Indonesian and 189 Japanese public senior high-school students. Design and methods: An 18-item multiple-choice questionnaire relating to five conceptual categories (reactions occurring during electrolysis, differences between electrolytic and voltaic cells, movement of ions in voltaic cells, poles in voltaic cells, voltaic cell reactions) was administered. Results: The findings of this study show that difficulties and alternative conceptions previously reported in the literature are held equally by students from a developing and developed country, Indonesian and Japan respectively. Conclusions: Collectively, the findings suggest that students' understanding of electrochemistry concepts is relatively weak. Students from both samples shared common difficulties and displayed several alternative conceptions dealing with electrolysis, electricity flow, the voltaic cell and the electrode reactions. Not surprisingly, the students displayed limited consistency in understanding of the concepts in the five categories. This study has implications for teaching and learning, particularly in classroom discussions using models and computer animations in order to reinforce understanding at the sub-microscopic level.
AB - Background and purpose: This study investigated Indonesian and Japanese senior high-school students' understanding of electrochemistry concepts. Sample: The questionnaire was administered to 244 Indonesian and 189 Japanese public senior high-school students. Design and methods: An 18-item multiple-choice questionnaire relating to five conceptual categories (reactions occurring during electrolysis, differences between electrolytic and voltaic cells, movement of ions in voltaic cells, poles in voltaic cells, voltaic cell reactions) was administered. Results: The findings of this study show that difficulties and alternative conceptions previously reported in the literature are held equally by students from a developing and developed country, Indonesian and Japan respectively. Conclusions: Collectively, the findings suggest that students' understanding of electrochemistry concepts is relatively weak. Students from both samples shared common difficulties and displayed several alternative conceptions dealing with electrolysis, electricity flow, the voltaic cell and the electrode reactions. Not surprisingly, the students displayed limited consistency in understanding of the concepts in the five categories. This study has implications for teaching and learning, particularly in classroom discussions using models and computer animations in order to reinforce understanding at the sub-microscopic level.
KW - Alternative conceptions
KW - Electrolytic cells
KW - Students' understandings
KW - Voltaic cells
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U2 - 10.1080/02635143.2010.536949
DO - 10.1080/02635143.2010.536949
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:80051638449
VL - 29
SP - 169
EP - 188
JO - Research in Science and Technological Education
JF - Research in Science and Technological Education
SN - 0263-5143
IS - 2
ER -