|
Makale Özeti:
|
In this study, students’ understanding of chemical changes was investigated in relation to
four individual differences, related to logical thinking, field dependence/independence,
convergence and divergence thinking. The study took place in Greece with the
participation of students (n=374) from three grades (8th, 10th and 12th grades) of secondary
education. A stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that the above cognitive
variables were statistically significant predictors of the students’ achievement, with logical
thinking to be the most dominant. Unexpectedly, no statistically important effect was
found across ages. Moreover, students' partial achievement scores on understanding the
structure of substances and their changes, along with the cognitive variables, appeared to
have an effect on their competence in interpretation of chemical changes. Path analyses
were implemented to depict these effects. A theoretical analysis that associates the role of
cognitive variables with the nature of mental tasks involved when learning chemistry is
also presented. Implications for science education are discussed.
|