ERIC Number: EJ1358406
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1648-3898
EISSN: EISSN-2538-7138
Utilizing Multidimensional Scaling to Represent the Conceptual Structures of Atomic Structure in Upper-Secondary School Teachers and Students
Journal of Baltic Science Education, v21 n3 p481-494 2022
This research aimed to explore the upper-secondary school chemistry teachers' and students' conceptual structures of atomic structure by using multidimensional scaling. Atomic structure is considered to be one of the most difficult concepts in upper-secondary school chemistry course so that the conceptual structure regarding atomic structure held by the learners is necessary to be examined. Based on a questionnaire survey for upper-secondary school chemistry teachers and university chemistry professors, 40 concepts were selected as a useful concept pool of atomic structure. Then, the conceptual structures and the specific classifications of concepts from 168 upper-secondary school chemistry teachers and 336 tenth-grade students were investigated by multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis. The results showed that the 3-D solutions were appropriate for the conceptual structures of teachers and students, respectively. Next, the conceptual structure of teachers utilized as an evaluation criterion was more scientific than that of students. The conceptual structure of students with high academic achievement was more scientific than that of the low achievers. Multidimensional scaling utilized to explore students' conceptual structure of scientific concepts can provide a new and benefic form of evidence to understand the concept learning outcome of students.
Descriptors: Secondary School Students, Science Education, Scientific Concepts, Evaluation Criteria, Chemistry, Science Teachers, College Faculty, Difficulty Level, Classification, Grade 10, Undergraduate Students, Teacher Attitudes, High Achievement, Low Achievement, Science Achievement, Outcomes of Education, Teaching Methods, College Entrance Examinations, Scores, Foreign Countries, Nuclear Physics, Multidimensional Scaling
Scientia Socialis Ltd. 29 K. Donelaicio Street, LT-78115 Siauliai, Republic of Lithuania. e-mail: scientia@scientiasocialis.lt; e-mail: mail.jbse@gmail.com; Web site: http://www.scientiasocialis.lt/jbse/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Grade 10; High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: China
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A