Describes five ways that high school students explain a chemical change. Discusses the differences in conceptual understanding of the students based upon their responses to questions about simple reactions. Presents additional classifications of conceptions of chemical reactions done by other researchers. (TW)

Explores the development over time of students' understandings of the concept of chemical reaction in the context of two familiar reactions in solution. Based on interviews (n=48), results show that students made some progress in their understanding of the concept of chemical reaction but some fundamental misconceptions remained. (Author/MM)

Based on research on the effect of preinstructional knowledge on students' learning of chemical phenomena, this study explores individual learning processes in an introductory chemistry course. Focuses on four common conceptions about two basic chemistry concepts: changes of substances and the particle model of matter. (Author/SAH)

Reports on a study of 14-15 year old students' ideas about combustion. Describes patterns of students' explanations across a range of questions and analyzes them to gain insight into both the degree of consistency of their explanations and how this may affect the process of conceptual change in the students. (Contains 35 references.) (Author/YDS)

Describes four chemical terms that students with well-considered reasons use in a way that is not accepted in chemistry. From 4300-7500 senior high school students completed a series of multiple choice tests while other groups of students participated in discussions about the problem situations. Contains 34 references. (DDR)