Students' conceptions on basic chemistry and their conceptions and attitudes on climate change

• Main Author: Cano, Magnolia Vida A.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2011
• Subjects: Chemistry; Climatic changes
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/6601; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etd_masteral/article/12955/viewcontent/CDTG004910_P.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

This study investigated students' conceptions on basic chemistry and climate change, as well as their attitudes towards addressing climate change. The respondents were two hundred eighty three (N=283) students from intact classes of Bicol University enrolled in the second semester of school year 2008-2009 in four different courses (BS Chemistry, BS Chemical Engineering, BS Nursing and BS Biology). Data were collected through interviews and the Climate Change Concept Test (CCCT), Test on Basic Chemistry Concepts (TBCC), Climate Change Attitude Inventory (CCAI) and the Climate Change Questionnaire (CCQ). Results revealed that the students strongly believe that climate change is occurring, that it is caused by humans and that it has negative consequences. They considered climate change as a serious environmental problem our country is facing. However, they have very weak understanding of the concepts of climate change, specifically on greenhouse gases, the mechanism of global warming and climate change adaptation and mitigation measures. Their responses to the tests and interviews showed a number of alternative conceptions and unfamiliar terms and concepts, a clear indication that climate change is not formally taught in schools. Students revealed that they learned about climate change primarily through the mass media. TBCC results showed a number of conceptions in chemistry different from accepted scientific views. These differences included molecular conceptions regarding the nature of particles, phase changes, chemical reactions, as well as macroscopic conceptions concerning phase change and chemical change. They were also relatively weak in thermochemistry and stoichiometry. When relationships between conceptions in chemistry and climate change were analyzed, it was found that the alternative conceptions in chemistry were reflected in their understanding of climate change concepts such as on the effects of global warming on oceans and climate change mitigation measures. From correlational analysis, the students‟ scores in the CCCT was significantly related to their scores in the test on basic chemistry concepts.