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Students’ mental models of chemical reactions and balancing of chemical equations_a case study of a Ghanaian Senior High School

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dc.contributor.author Akrosumah, S.M
dc.date.accessioned 2023-03-16T12:43:36Z
dc.date.available 2023-03-16T12:43:36Z
dc.date.issued 2016
dc.identifier.uri http://41.74.91.244:8080/handle/123456789/1730
dc.description A THESIS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE EDUCATION, FACULTY OF SCIENCE EDUCATION, SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA, IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY, SCIENCE EDUCATION DEGREE OCTOBER, 2016 en_US
dc.description.abstract This study investigated students’ mental models of chemical reactions and balancing chemical equations at Diamono Senior High School in the Brong Ahafo region of Ghana. The study employed case study design using Action Research approach. An intact class of form 2 science class made up of 24 males and 6 female students’ were used for the study. The data for this study were derived from class exercises done by students to probe their mental models of chemical reactions and balancing chemical equations for various chemical phenomena. Data collected from the study was analysed qualitatively. Thematic analysis of the students’ discourse of their mental models revealed different types of mental models; named Model A, B, and C. Model A was considered as an initial mental model, which was based on students’ experience with changes of matter in their daily life. Model B was based either on the attributes related to the kinetic theory of particles or attributes related to chemical bonding. Model C was based on students’ scientific ideas but include some erroneous assumptions. A general conclusion drawn from this study was that, some students’ mental models were found to be lacking in attributes that relate to scientific ideas such as particle model, particle collisions, activation energy and entropy, despite being introduced with these ideas in their formal learning. It is suggested that students’ should be introduced to model-based instruction that encourages them to construct acceptable mental models of particles and link these models with the chemical phenomena. Therefore, an inquiry that investigates the impact of an intervention would be beneficial. en_US
dc.language.iso en en_US
dc.publisher Unversity Of Education,Winneba en_US
dc.subject Chemical reactions en_US
dc.subject Balancing of chemical equations en_US
dc.title Students’ mental models of chemical reactions and balancing of chemical equations_a case study of a Ghanaian Senior High School en_US
dc.type Thesis en_US


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