English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Concepts and their structure are fundamental and significant issues in cognitive psychology. As influential factors, they play critical roles in cognitive processes. It is thus indispensable to explore and understand the conceptual structures that students hold of science concepts (Taber, 2003). Different techniques have been developed to determine and represent the different forms of an individual’s conceptual structure (Jonassen, et al., 1993). Similarity rating (or relatedness rating) is one of the bases of these techniques, which requires individual to rate the degree of similarity (or the degree of relatedness) between pairs of concepts (Goldsmith, et al., 1991; Giamellaro, 2014; Neiles, et al., 2016). As an example, word association is a short-timed test to identify the conceptual structure individual has of certain concepts (Derman & Eilks, 2016; Geeslin, & Shavelson, 1975; Nakiboglu, 2008; Yener, et al., 2018). Additionally, using the matrix of proximity values, multidimensional scaling (MDS) and the Pathfinder network algorithm are common methods of exploring global and local information regarding the conceptual structures of individuals and groups (Giamellaro, 2014; Goldsmith, et al., 1991; Neiles, et al., 2016). The large sample of rating data can also be processed by other data analysis methods, such as factor analysis. However, little research has reported on the use of factor analysis to determine the latent structure of science concepts in students. Research has consistently shown that chemical equilibrium has been considered as an important but difficult chemistry topic for students to learn (Bergquist & Heikkinen, 1990; Finley, et al., 1982). To understand the learning process and outcome for this topic, and to select suitable teaching methods, researchers have conducted various research studies on students’ understanding of chemical equilibrium. Students’ misconceptions (Akkus, et al., 2011; Barke, et al., 2009; Hackling & Garnett, 1985; Karpudewan, et al., 2015; Özmen, 2008; Quílez, 2004; Quílez-Pardo & Solaz-Portolés, 1995), mental models (Chiu, et al., 2002), and conceptual structures (Gorodetsky & Yuhua Mai, Yangyi Qian South China Normal University, P. R. China Linshen Li Shimen Senior High School, P. R. China Haihang Lan South China Normal University, P. R. Chin Abstract. This research aimed to explore the conceptual structure of chemical equilibrium in upper-secondary school students using factor analysis. Research on chemistry education has shown that chemical equilibrium is an important but difficult-tounderstand topic. Exploring the conceptual structure of chemical equilibrium among students will help chemistry researchers and educators to conduct more targeted teaching practices. Based on a survey of chemistry research and teaching practice experts, a high-quality concept pool composed of 24 relevant concepts was developed. Next, a survey involving a total of over 700 twelfth-grade students from five upper-secondary schools was conducted, and a factor analysis was utilized to determine the conceptual structure. The results showed that a three-factor model and a five-factor model with 15 relevant concepts were all accepted as the conceptual structure for students. The new form of conceptual structure in this research helps understand the features and categories in students’ latent organization of concepts. Also, it may be revealed that factor analysis can be utilized as an approach to exploring students’ conceptual structure.

THE CONCEPTUAL STRUCTURE OF CHEMICAL EQUILIBRIUM IN UPPER-SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS: EVIDENCE FROM FACTOR ANALYSIS