The development and evaluation of a computer-assisted instructional strategy designed to change student misconceptions about chemical equilibrium

Abstract

The main aims of this thesis are twofold. First, to identify and describe misconceptions about chemical equilibrium held by Year-12 chemistry students in the Maldives. Second, to investigate the effects of using a computer-assisted instructional strategy in changing those misconceptions. A misconception identification test and an interview schedule developed by Garnett & Hackling ( 1984) were used to diagnose student misconceptions about chemical equilibrium. The remediation aspect of the study used a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) package. The package was designed in accordance with a model of conceptual change proposed by Posner, Strike, Hewson & Gertzog ( 1982) . The CAI package consists of eleven modules. The conceptual change strategies, as implemented in the package, mainly used simulations to create cognitive conflict to assist accommodation. The results of the study indicate that misconceptions about chemical equilibrium are common among Year 12 chemistry students in the Maldives. In addition, these misconceptions were found to be similar to those reported by Hackling and Garnett (1985) which identified misconceptions among Western Australian students. Results also indicate that the remediation aspect of the study, which used the CAI package, produced significant and lasting conceptual changes in students holding the misconceptions.