Undergraduate Chemistry Students' Misconceptions about Reaction Coordinate Diagrams

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Undergraduate Chemistry Students' Misconceptions about Reaction Coordinate Diagrams
Language: English
Authors: Lamichhane, Roshan (ORCID 0000-0003-0050-1908), Reck, Cathrine, Maltese, Adam V. (ORCID 0000-0001-8422-9395)
Source: Chemistry Education Research and Practice. Jul 2018 19(3):834-845.
Availability: Royal Society of Chemistry. Thomas Graham House, Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge, CB4 0WF, UK. Tel: +44-1223 420066; Fax: +44-1223 423623; e-mail: cerp@rsc.org; Web site: http://www.rsc.org/cerp
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 12
Publication Date: 2018
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Descriptors: Chemistry, Multiple Choice Tests, Interviews, Undergraduate Students, Misconceptions, Science Instruction, Teaching Methods, Student Attitudes, Prior Learning, Energy, Coding, Science Tests, Visual Aids, Thermodynamics, Molecular Structure
Geographic Terms: Indiana
DOI: 10.1039/c8rp00045j
ISSN: 1756-1108
Abstract: Misconceptions are the "the old, the bad, and the ugly" prior knowledge, ideas or conceptions that the learners have that hinder their further learning in science. Several types of misconceptions that undergraduate students hold about reaction coordinate diagrams (from here on we use the term "reaction coordinate diagrams" and "energy diagrams" interchangeably) are described herein. The rationale of 223 students were coded based on their responses to a multiple-choice question on the topic, and interviews (n = 10) were used to delve deeper into the students' knowledge structures. The results of the open coding of the rationale and the interviews were used in developing an instrument which was administered to 57 students. In this paper, we present the assessment instrument and the alternate conceptions that students have regarding energy diagrams that have not been reported in the literature yet. Implications for instructional approaches particular to the energy diagram topic are discussed.
Abstractor: As Provided
Number of References: 41
Entry Date: 2018
Accession Number: EJ1183939
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:Misconceptions are the "the old, the bad, and the ugly" prior knowledge, ideas or conceptions that the learners have that hinder their further learning in science. Several types of misconceptions that undergraduate students hold about reaction coordinate diagrams (from here on we use the term "reaction coordinate diagrams" and "energy diagrams" interchangeably) are described herein. The rationale of 223 students were coded based on their responses to a multiple-choice question on the topic, and interviews (n = 10) were used to delve deeper into the students' knowledge structures. The results of the open coding of the rationale and the interviews were used in developing an instrument which was administered to 57 students. In this paper, we present the assessment instrument and the alternate conceptions that students have regarding energy diagrams that have not been reported in the literature yet. Implications for instructional approaches particular to the energy diagram topic are discussed.
ISSN:1756-1108
DOI:10.1039/c8rp00045j