ADDRESSING STUDENT ALTERNATE CONCEPTIONS IN CHEMICAL EQUILIBRIUM

This study explored general-chemistry instructors §awareness of and ability to identify common student§alternate conceptions in chemical equilibrium.§Instructor strategies directed at remediation of§student alternate conceptions were also investigated§and compared to successful, literature-based§conceptual change methods. Fifty-two general§chemistry instructor volunteers from 50 U.S. colleges§and universities completed an interactive web-based§survey that gathered their responses to hypothetical §classroom scenarios. The three scenarios asked§respondents to evaluate student exam answers, §justify their evaluations, and report how they would §assist students to better understand ideas about §which they held alternate conceptions. This study §revealed that chemistry instructors employ a variety §of strategies in efforts to address and remediate §alternate conceptions. However, those strategies §rarely include the conditions needed to stimulate §conceptual change in students. Instructors are thus §encouraged to become familiar with successful §conceptual change strategies, using such methods as §appropriate in their classrooms.