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Asia-Pacific Forum
on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 12, Issue 2, Article 4 (Dec., 2011) |
Teachers’ understanding of the particulate nature of matter: The case of Zambian pre-service science teachers
Asiana BANDA, Frackson MUMBA, Vivien M. CHABALENGULA & Simeon MBEWE
Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 625 Wham Drive, MC 4610, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA
E-mail: frackson@siu.edum
Received 11 Jul., 2011
Revised 14 Dec., 2011
Contents
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Methodology
- Results
- Effect of Phase Change on Size, Speed, Number and Spaces between Particles
- Effect of heating, and cooling on Size, Speed, Number and Spaces between particles
- Effect of Compression on Size, Speed, Number and Spaces between particles
- Discussion
- Conclusions
- References
This study assessed Zambian Junior High School pre-service science teachers’ understanding of the particulate nature of matter. A sample comprised 30 pre-service science teachers at a teacher training college. Data was collected through a questionnaire adopted from Ozmen and Kenan (2007). Results show that most teachers had correct views on the effect of phase change on speed, spaces and number of particles in a substance. However, most pre-service teachers had poor understanding about the effect of phase change, cooling and heating on the size of the particles in a substance. Most pre-service teachers erroneously believed that when a substance is cooled it contracts because the sizes of its particles decrease, and when a substance is melting the size of its particles increase. Results have implications on science teaching and learning and teacher education.
Keywords: Pre-service teacher, science, matter, understanding, particle
