An Investigation of Indian Secondary Level Students' Alternative Conceptions of Water Pollution

The prevalence of the ideas of secondary students (class X) about causes, consequences and remedies of water pollution was determined using a closed form of questionnaire. Many of the Indian students in the present study were unaware of the devastating effect of deforestation, chemical fertilizers employed in agricultural fields, offshore mining, smoke, volcanic eruptions, weathering of soil and rocks on pollution of water and its impact on humans viz. blindness, DNA damage, deformities of bones etc. Prevalent alternative conceptions and misconceptions were: sewage, pesticides, soil erosions do not pollute water; water pollution causes acid rain; radioactive waste dumped in oceans and greenhouse effect could minimize water pollution and BOD of sewage water is very less than that of pure drinking water. It exposes the lacuna in Indian educational system and suggests a strong drive to displace misconceptions at the early stage of learning itself, before they become embedded in an alternative conceptual frame work.