Probing students's conceptions on chemical equilibrium

• Main Author: Pescones, Terily R.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2005
• Subjects: Chemical equilibrium—Study and teaching; Science and Mathematics Education
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/6799
• Institution: De La Salle University

The purpose of the study is to investigate students’ conceptions about chemical equilibrium. In this study, the researcher aimed to identify misconceptions and conceptual difficulties of student about some aspects of chemical equilibrium. The study involved 30 students randomly selected from 100 students belonging to three sections handled by the researcher. The students were enrolled in General Chemistry 2 at the Technological University of the Philippines-Taguig where the study was conducted and belong to the Automotive Engineering Technology, Electromechanical Engineering Technology and Computer Engineering Technology. They were given instruction on chemical equilibrium through lecture coupled with hands-on laboratory activity. Their responses on the data analysis and interview was used to assess the student’s misconceptions and conceptual difficulties. Findings indicate that students do hold some misconceptions and conceptual difficulties in chemical equilibrium, particularly, in the dynamic nature of chemical equilibrium, in the use of volume in expressing quantity of substances, in the effect of some of the disturbances in chemical equilibrium, particularly the change in concentration and temperature. It is implied from the result of the study that the reasons for such conceptions and difficulties are a) students have superficial understanding on the principle which governs reversible reaction b) students seemed to have stronger preference to physical changes than to chemical changes which results to neglecting the concept illustrated in the observed reversible reaction c) students could hardly visualize the reactions going on in a system in equilibrium and d) students have the tendency to fix their thinking on the previous knowledge they acquired like the meaning and the use of some scientific terms. If the students’ ideas that came out in this study would be taken into consideration in classroom instruction, it could bring out a vital shift in students conceptual understanding.