Changes in College Students' Conceptions of Chemical Equilibrium

Abstract

This is a case study on the conceptual evolution of chemical equilibrium of selected chemistry students as they go through learning activities using an instructional design based on a constructivist view of learning. The study was carried out in two General Chemistry classes at a university.

Lawson’s Test of Scientific Reasoning was administered to determine the students’ cognitive level. The sample students in the study were chosen to represent the empirical-inductive level, transitional and hypothetical-deductive level.

The study was a combination of qualitative and quantitative research. The qualitative part involved following the conceptual evolution of selected students through the use of written documents such as activity sheets, learning journals, assignments, post-test and the use of oral interviews, audiotapes and videotapes of group discussions. The quantitative part involved the two intact classes and pre-test and post-test gains for both classes were determined. The correlation between the students’ cognitive level and the pre-test, post-test and gain scores were also looked into.