Learners' Misconceptions in Periodic Table: An Analysis of Cognitive Skills Development

Abstract

Development of Cognitive skills is critical for developing the right conceptual ideas in chemistry. Atomic structure, bonding, and associated properties are taught as parts of high school chemistry courses worldwide. The cumulative build-up of misconceptions about the periodic table is to blame for students' poor performance on atoms and bonding-related topics. This is primarily due to a lack of appropriate cognitive abilities. The periodic table is a fundamental organizing principle in chemistry that high school students are introduced to. The purpose of this study is to determine the commonalities among learners' misconceptions about various aspects of the periodic table in two distinct countries. This study had two objectives. To begin with, it demonstrated if learners from different locations developed the same type of alternate concepts. Second, it aided in discovering the most prevalent alternate conceptions in learners' minds regarding the periodic table. This study enrolled 97 students from India and 78 students from South Africa. The quantitative data for this investigation were gathered using a modified BRI. It is noticed that, despite disparities in their social environments, high school students generally possess similar alternate conceptions that act as a learning barrier at their higher level of learning.