International Journal of Innovative Research and Development

Abstract

The study developed a diagnostic instrument to identify misconceptions that teacher trainees have of chemistry topics in relation to ionic and covalent bonding. Students’ initial ideas on these topics were collated through classroom discourse, Treagust’s (1988) and Tan and Treagust’s (1999) adapted diagnostic tests, concept maps and whole class interviews during the first week of interaction with teacher trainees in 2011. These data were used to produce 20 two-tier multiple choice items in four concept areas. The test had a Cronbach alpha reliability of 0.75. Item difficulties ranged from 0.12 to 0.65. Discrimination values ranged from 0.32-0.60. The diagnostic instrument was administered to 98 undergraduate teacher trainees in their second year of chemistry education at the University of Education, Winneba. The participants’ scores on each item were analysed by simple percentages to identify their misconceptions on basic chemical bonding and structure. The identified alternative concepts have been presented and discussed and possible teaching remedies suggested.

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Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to sensitise laboratory instructors and teachers on the need to take seriously the teaching of laboratory rules and safety symbols to students. It reports on the understanding that 34 chemistry undergraduate teacher trainees have about laboratory safety rules and symbols in a study. The research was a mini survey which employed the exploratory design. A questionnaire was used to gather data toassess the situation. Analysis of the data revealed that 23 (67.65%) of the participants had a fair understanding of safety rules while 24 (70%) could interpret safety symbols. The wrong interpretations wee however very bizarre. It is recommended that teacher and lab instructors make the teaching of laboratory procedures a prerequisite topic before the commencement of experimental work in the laboratory.

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