Junior Secondary School Students' Ideas of Chemical Change

Abstract

The study examined Junior Secondary School students' ideas about chemical change. The study also focused on the identification of misconceptions that students might harbour on this concept. It also sought to examine the implications of such ideas for teaching and learning of science at the basic level. Students selected for the study were from well-established and poorly-established schools in the Awutu-Efutu-Senya District in the Central Region of Ghana. In all 464 students were randomly sampled for the study. Instruments used in the study consisted of a test and an interview schedule. The t-test statistic for independent sample was used to test the null hypothesis of the research question. The study found no significant differences between students from both well-endowed and poorly-endowed schools on the ideas they held about chemical change. Students from both well-established and poorly established schools showed common misconceptions about chemical change. Analysis of test and interview revealed the following misconceptions (i) that the burning of a candle is a physical change and (ii) the blackening of a glass rod is due to vapour from the flame. African Journal of Educational Studies in Mathematics and Sciences Vol. 5 2007: pp. 77-86