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What Are Students Thinking When They Pick Their Answer? A Content Analysis of Students' Explanations of Gas Properties
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Abstract
A sample of 330 students was asked to answer a multiple-choice question concerning gas properties at the microscopic level and explain the reasoning they used to make their choice. These comments were analyzed, paying particular attention to students' beliefs about particle velocity, particle distribution (gas volume), the number of particle collisions (gas pressure), and the state of matter of the sample. The results showed that 33% of the students chose the correct answer for the multiple-choice question. Of the students who picked the correct answer, 80% provided explanations that were consistent with the scientifically accepted answer, while 90% of the students who picked an incorrect choice provided explanations with at least one misconception. Although these results support the validity of the multiple-choice question, we identified three threats to the validity of this question: The static question does not depict the critical attribute of change (particle motion); Students do not see a distinction between two of the distractors in the question; Students may be choosing an incorrect option based on an incorrect guess of the melting or boiling point of the gas and not based on a misconception.
Keywords (Audience):
First-Year Undergraduate / GeneralKeywords (Domain):
Chemical Education ResearchKeywords (Feature):
Chemical Education ResearchKeywords (Pedagogy):
Communication / WritingKeywords (Subject):
GasesCiting Articles
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This article has been cited by 3 ACS Journal articles (3 most recent appear below).
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Mark S. Cracolice , John C. Deming , Brian EhlertJournal of Chemical Education2008 85 (6), 873An initial sample of 94 students enrolled in a first-term general chemistry course was tested with paired algorithmic–conceptual questions, which included questions first used by Nurrenbern and Pickering. The topics of these questions were density, ...
"Concept Learning versus Problem Solving": Does Particle Motion Have an Effect?
Michael J. Sanger , Eddie Campbell , Jeremy Felker and Charles SpencerJournal of Chemical Education2007 84 (5), 875"Concept Learning versus Problem Solving": Does Particle Motion Have an Effect?
Michael J. Sanger , Eddie Campbell , Jeremy Felker and Charles SpencerJournal of Chemical Education2007 84 (5), 875A sample of 210 students was asked to answer a static particulate-level multiple-choice question concerning gas properties first used by Nurrenbern and Pickering. Then they viewed an animated version of the question and answered the multiple-choice ...
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- Received: August 03, 2009
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