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PUBLICATION INFORMATION

TITLE OF PUBLICATION
PROSPECTIVE SCIENCE TEACHERS’ MISCONCEPTIONS IN ORGANIC CHEMISTRY: THE CASE OF ALKENES
NAME OF AUTHOR(S)
Gülten ŞENDUR
NAME OF PUBLISHER
Journal of TURKISH SCIENCE EDUCATION
YEAR OF PUBLICATION
2012
LANGUAGE OF PUBLICATION
English
PUBLICATION TYPOLOGY
Research
TARGET GROUP OF PUBLICATION
Researchers, Teachers
SIZE OF THE PUBLICATION
Over 10 pages
DESCRIPTION OF CONTENTS
In the study, researcher aimed to identify prospective science teachers’ understanding levels and misconceptions about alkenes.This study adopted a case study research design and sample is 73 prospective science teachersn. Data was collected with alkene concept test and semi-structered interviews.The results of the study indicated that students had some misconceptions about important areas related to alkenes.
REVIEWER’S COMMENTS ON THE PUBLICATION
With new learning theories students prior knowledge has become more important and students misconceptions are very important for an effective teaching-learning process. Especially teacher candidates misconceptions should be eliminated before they become teachers.So this study has an important role for understanding teacher candidates misconceptions,especially in chemistry.The results shows us that students have so much misunderstanding in alkenes concepts.These kind of studies should be go ahead with some solutions to overcome these misconceptions.
PDF OF THE PUBLICATION
NAME OF THE REVIEWING ORGANISATION
Kırıkkale University

Comments about this Publication

Your comments are welcome


Date: 2014.10.06

Posted by A. J. Torres (Spain)

Message: This article show us a study to identify prospective science teachers´understanding levels and misconceptions about alkenes. The results of the study indicated that students had some misconceptions about important areas related to alkenes in Geometric/Cis-Trans Isomerism, physical properties of geometric /cis-trans isomers, structural isomerism, nomenclature, general properties, chemical reactions and synthesis of alkenes. One of the main reasons for the misconceptions is prospective science teachers´prior knowledge. The reasons for such misconceptions are discussed briefly. We can find in this article some suggestions that could be made based on the findings, about prospective teacher training. I consider this paper relevant for my teaching practice because it contains useful material for my work and shows possible solutions for teaching problems about organic chemistry.

Date: 2013.07.19

Posted by Veronika Popová (Czech Republic)

Message: The starting point of the article is the fact that in Turkey there are only very limited studies on understanding basic concepts in Organic Chemistry, non of them on the topic of Alkenes, while misconceptions about alkenes negatively affect students´ further learning. Therefore the study, that the article deals about, was conducted.
The purpose of the study was to identify prospective science teachers´ understanding levels and misconceptions about alkenes.
The methodology of the study adopted a case study research design with sampling of 73 science teachers´ candidates, instruments of concept test (including 16 multiple-choice questions) and semi-structured interviews. The test was primary piloted for gaining the reliability coefficient (Cronbach alpha = 0,75). The methodology of the research I consider valid and relevant.
The results of the study indicated that students (prospective science teachers) had some misconceptions about important areas related to alkenes. These misconceptions are in detail described in the article. One of the main reasons for the misconceptions is according to the author prospective science teachers´ prior knowledge. The Turkish Secondary Chemistry Curriculum and chemistry textbooks did not contain enough specific examples. Other reasons for described misconceptions are suggested only marginally – this study was conducted with science teachers´ candidates who were trained in accordance with former high school chemistry curriculum. For this reason the author suggest that further studies should be conducted with the sampling of students who were trained in accordance with new high school chemistry curriculum. The author also suggests conducting of further studies in order to investigate the effectiveness of different teaching strategies and changed texts.
I don´t know if primary knowledge of science teachers´ candidates in other countries lead in such misconceptions, therefore I can´t state that the findings described in the article is relevant for other countries in Europe. Still the text is relevant for CIAA Network project since it highlights major importance of finding and eliminating misconceptions by students before they become teachers. I see also the mission of the article, that it provokes reflection on the need of further education of chemistry teachers and consequent revision of teaching texts and methods.

Date: 2013.06.11

Posted by Maria Pramukova (Slovakia)

Message: Message: This is a very interesting paper which presents a study carried out in Turkey to find out the understanding levels and misconceptions of future science teachers in the field of organic chemistry. This misconceptions can have a negative effect on students’ further learning due to the central role that alkenes have in organic chemistry. The study is very useful and researchers used both quantitative and qualitative techniques. 73 pre-service teachers took part on this study and this is rather small for a quantitative study, and the authors found that many misconceptions existed. The study is a representative example that shows the importance in the design of the best learning strategies to be included in high school chemistry curriculum in order to allow prospective teachers a clear understanding of fundamental concepts on the disciplines they are going to teach. Study adds value to the debate of teacher training since and shows the need to take measures for remediation of misconceptions in all fields of chemistry. The authors point out that the participants in the study had followed a high school chemistry curriculum that is no longer in use and recommend that a future study should be carried out with teachers who have followed the new high school curriculum to see if such misconceptions persist. Results of this study shows the need for suitable in-service training to identify and correct any misconceptions held by practising teachers. Initial teacher training programs should be carefully designed with the same aim.

Date: 2013.05.31

Posted by John Pountos (Greece)

Message: This is a short and concise paper that aims in studying the misconceptions of prospective science teachers in organic chemistry and more specifically in the case of alkenes. As noted by the authors, there are numerous previous studies in chemical misconceptions in the field of general chemistry but very few in the field of organic chemistry. From this point of view this study is new and useful. The researchers used both quantitative and qualitative techniques. Even though the sample of 73 pre-service teachers is rather small for a quantitative study, the combined use of semi-structured interviews gives useful insights to the problem.
The authors identified numerous misconceptions in several aspects of alkene properties and chemistry. It is important to be aware of the existing misconceptions among teachers since it is then highly possible that they will be transferred to their students. The reasons for the existence of the identified misconceptions are not really explained in detailed in this publication, even though some suggestions are made (prior knowledge, textbook examples) neither the authors make concrete proposals of how they could be overcome.
However, this publication adds value to the debate of teacher training since it pinpoints the need to take measures for remediation of misconceptions in all fields of chemistry (not only in the more common fields related with general chemistry). Identifying the misconceptions is the first important step for designing suitable corrective interventions.

Date: 2013.05.29

Posted by Fernando Hernandez-Mateo (Spain)

Message: In any discipline, the role of the teacher is invaluable in order to attain the primary goal of the educational activity. Besides the acquisition of adequate pedagogical abilities during their training process, the issue of the construction of a solid and accurate body of knowledge of the prospective teachers is a matter of maximum importance. The present study clearly states that many misconceptions are detected in a case study carried our in Turkey in the field of organic chemistry related with future science teachers. The prior knowledge of the participants in such study is argued as the main reason of the reported findings. Some others factors are also pointed by the author.
The study is a representative example that highlights the importance in the design and provision of the best learning strategies to be included in high school chemistry curriculum in order to allow prospective teachers a clear understanding of fundamental concepts on the disciplines they are going to teach. Unfortunately, the situation is found all over around in many educational systems.
Although not directly addressed, another issue that underlines the present study is also the importance of stereocohemistry, a chemistry subdiscipline in which is involved the geometric isomerism theme, and the difficulties that many students find in the understanding of the concepts related with this particular topic. The study of the relative spatial arrangement of atoms that form the structure of molecules is of paramount importance in organic chemistry. The acquisition of the abilities for the 3D visualization requires not only the use of textbooks but also the implementation of more specific learning tools in this topic such us molecular models and specific designed software that are nowadays easily accessible.
Another conclusion that could be extracted for the present study is also the importance that chemistry will be teached by chemistry graduates. By this way, the motivation driving force will be ensured and better results will be assured in the teaching-learning activity.

Date: 2013.05.07

Posted by Angela Gammell (Ireland)

Message: This paper describes a study carried out in Turkey to find out the understanding levels and misconceptions of future science teachers in the field of organic chemistry. The reason this was undertaken was that misconceptions regarding alkenes can have a negative effect on students’ further learning due to the central role that alkenes have in organic chemistry.
73 future science teachers took part in the study and the authors found that many misconceptions existed. These are described, some having been previously described in literature and some being identified for the first time. No figures are given regarding the level of these misunderstandings.
The reasons for such misconceptions are discussed briefly. The prior knowledge of the participants was given as the main reason. An example of how one such misconception might have arisen due to the limited examples in textbooks is given. The authors point out that the participants in the study had followed a high school chemistry curriculum that is no longer in use and recommend that a future study should be carried out with teachers who have followed the new high school curriculum to see if such misconceptions persist.
While not addressing the issue of student motivation directly, the results of this study highlight the need for suitable in-service training to identify and correct any misconceptions held by practising teachers. Initial teacher training programs should be carefully designed with the same aim. If not corrected, such misconceptions will be passed on to the next generation of students. This can only hamper their understanding and mastery of chemistry in turn.
In an Irish context where many teachers of chemistry are not necessarily chemistry graduates this especially important. Continued provision of good quality, appropriate and targeted in-service is a pre requisite to the improvement of the quality of teaching and learning among the existing body of science teachers.

National Reports on successful experiences to promote lifelong learning for chemistry The national reports on chemistry successful experiences to promote lifelong learning for chemistry are now available on the related section of the project portal. The reports presents examples of successful experiences in the partner countries and the results of testing of ICT resources with science teachers.

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