1.0 Misconception in Science

According to the explanation from Martin, R., Sexton, C. and Gerlovich, J. (2002), concept

can be defined as a set of idea, objects, or events that help an individual to understand about

certain things or happenings. However, Martin, R., Sexton, C. and Gerlovich, J. (2002) also

described misconception as an incorrect understanding of such as ideas, objects and events

that are built or constructed based on the person experience. It will include the things like

preconceived notions, non – scientific beliefs, naives’ theories, mix conceptions, or

conceptual misunderstanding.

Obviously, there are any reasons that cause the students fail to understand the concept in

Science. First at all, Eggen, P. and Kauchak, D. (2004) explained that the incorrect past

experience that gained by the student, as well as parents or other family members are

confronted with questions from their children, rather than admitting to not knowing the

answer, will be an common factor that cause the students misconception in Science. A part of

that, the resources materials, the media and teacher will be among the factors that can easily

causing the misconception among the students in Science subjects.

According to the explanation from Guesne, E. and Tiberghien, A. (1985), the misconceptions

themselves can be linked to such things as misunderstanding the factual information or data

or being given conflicting information from unreliable sources such as parents or teachers. In

other words, the students can be easily influenced by the information that came from

unreliable sources such as parents and it will lead them to face a misconception in Science.

The most serious problem is once the misconception had been formed in Science subject, it is

very hard for the educators to rectify and tune to the correct concepts. Thus, it will give a

huge impact to the process of teaching and learning of Science subjects in school.

Normally, the students who have misconception problem in Science will face with the

difficult task of deleting a mental image that makes sense to them, based on their own

observation. This belief or concepts will replace the model that is not as intuitively acceptable

for them. Therefore, it is not easy to undo their belief and replaced by correct Science model

in their mind.

1.1 Misconception Aspects

Generally, Dawson, C. (1997) explained that there are four misconceptions aspects that are

always faced by the students in learning Science. These four misconceptions aspects will give

a huge impact to the whole process of teaching and learning in Science. These four categories

are:

Preconceived Notions

o Obviously, it is a common and popular conceptions rooted in everyday

experience. This misconception happened to the students because the popular

and well accepted concepts (in fact this is a wrong concept) that had been

rooted in the mind of the students via the daily experience. For the example,

lots of people will belief that the water flowing underground must flow in

streams because the water the people had saw at the earth’s surface flows in

streams. According to Martin, R., Sexton, C. and Gerlovich, J. (2002), this

preconceived notions plague student’s view of heat, energy and gravity.

Nonscientific Beliefs

o According to the explanation from Guesne, E. and Tiberghien, A. (1985), the

nonscientific beliefs will include the views that studied and learned by the

students from various kinds of sources, other than scientific education. The

respective sources can be religious or mythical teachings in their daily life or

through the parents or even from informal teaching by the teachers in school.

For the example, the students will have learned through religious instruction

about an abbreviated history of the earth and its life forms. The disparity

between this widely held belief and the scientific evidences for a far more

extended pre-history has lead to the considerable controversy in the teaching

of Science in the classroom by the teacher. In fact, this misconception problem

always happened on the students during the process of learning Science in

school.

Conceptual Misunderstanding

o The third misconceptions aspect is conceptual misunderstanding. According to

the explanation from Eggen, P. and Kauchak, D. (2004), conceptual

misunderstanding is refer to the problems that happened when the students are

taught scientific information in the way that does not provoke them to confront

paradoxes and it will become conflicts resulting from their own preconceived

notions as well as nonscientific beliefs. In order to overcome or facing the

confusion, the students will construct or establish the faulty models that are

usually are so weak that the students themselves are unconfident about the

respective concepts.

Vernacular Misconception

o According to Dawson, C. (1997), the fourth misconception will be formed

from the uses of words that mean one thing in everyday life but another

meaning in the scientific context. For the example, the terms of “work” can

bring different meanings in our daily life and in scientific context. For the

example, the students will find that it is hard to understand the idea that

glaciers retreat. It is because the students will picture the glacier stopping,

turning around and moving in the opposite direction. It is simply because the

students cannot understand the words “retreat” rather than “melt”.

Factual Misconception

o The factual misconception refers to the falsities that often learned by the

students in early age and retained unchallenged into the adulthood. Therefore,

the students will assume that the respective ideas and concepts always correct

and they will use it in their Science learning. Thus, it will cause them face the

problem of misconception in learning Science subject in the classroom.

1.2 The Implication of Misconception in Learning

Unquestionable, the misconception in Science brings lots of implication to the process of

teaching and learning in Sciences. Among the implication that caused by the

misconception in Science is the students will not be able to understand and mastering the

exact concept of Science in the process of teaching and learning in the classroom. It is

because the inappropriate concepts had been rooted in their mind and it is not easy for the

school teacher to rectify it and replaced it with the correct concept of Science. Thus, it

causing the students fails to perform well in Science.

Apart of that, the process of teaching and learning become ineffective because the teacher

need to spend more time to explain and shows the correct concepts of Science in the

classroom to the students. It will also delay the process of learning for other students in

the classroom.

Lastly, the problem of misconceptions will affect the motivation and interest of students

in learning Sciences. It is because the misconceptions in Science will make the students

feels that very hard in learning Science in the classroom and slowly they will not interest

in learning Science in school anymore.

2.0 Student’s Misconception on the Topic “Electrochemistry”

According to J.D. Bradley and M.D. Mosimege (1998), lots of students will face a problem in

handling and understand complete the concepts regarding the electrochemistry in the process

of learning Chemistry or Science in school. Obviously, the students will face a

misconceptions problem emerged through:

Misapplication and misunderstanding of Le Chatelier’s principle

The uses of rote – learning recall and algorithmic procedures

Incorrect control of the variables

Limited uses of the chemical equilibrium law

A lack of mastery of the principles of chemical equilibrium as well as difficulty in

applying such as principles to new situations

As in the chemical terms, the galvanic cell is normally created far from the equilibrium and it

will proceeds toward its equilibrium states as electron transfer occurs. At the mean time, the

external energy sources will drive the electrochemical cell to transfer electrons, with the net

effect of moving it further from the equilibrium condition. The misconception that happened

to the students is the students hardly defining and distinguishing the two types of cells.

On the other hand, most of the students will not familiar with Ohm’s law that might cause the

misconception in the electrochemistry. For the example, the students had not fully mastered

common electricity concepts, specifically the differences and relationships among current,

voltage and resistance (I, V, R).

The students will also face a huge problem in balance the redox equations. The example of

misconception that often done by the students are as shown below:

Most of the students will with correct answer used the oxidation number method. However,

there are students still can answer it correctly due to the misconception. The students facing a

misconception and doing the mistake because they will assume that the carbonate ion had

donated oxygen to form carbon dioxide and was, therefore, reduced. On the other hand, the

students might also assign the oxidation number to polyatomic species by using their charges.

was given the oxidation number of negative 2, and CO2 the oxidation number of zero.

Consequently, the reaction was identified as an oxidation. However, the

reaction of was identified as a reduction. The hydronium ions must have

gained electrons in the transformation from hydronium to water molecules, and so should

have been reduced.

According to the explanation from Smela M, Currier S, Bailey E, Essignmann J. (2001), the

problem of misconception in electrochemistry among the students can be caused by the

students’ preconcepts are particularly addressed through the well-known formation of rust,

conflict between daily language and modern redox theory readily occur. Besides that, most of

the students will expect the electron transfer did not play any role but it is playing a huge and

important role in the electrochemistry.

Apart of that, the students also face the misconceptions in the notions that electrons flow

through electrolyte solutions, plus and minus signs assigned to electrodes represent net

electronic charges, that water doesn't react during electrolysis reactions, and that half-cell

potentials are absolute and can be used to predict the spontaneity of individual half-cells.

At the same time, the students often acquire a significant ability to solve problems in

chemistry courses without understanding the principles the problems were intended to teach.

For example, Treagust (1992) found that of a group of secondary school students, 74% were

unable to answer conceptual questions about electron repulsion in valence shells, but 78%

were able to successfully answer test questions designed to test this understanding. Similarly

Kurtz, M.J. (1995) found that of “A and B level” high school chemistry students virtually all

could balance the equation

But half could not draw a correct molecular diagram to explain this result.

According to Smela M, Currier S, Bailey E, Essignmann J. (2001), among other

misconceptions of the students on electrochemistry as listed down below:

The anode is always on the left

Standard reduction potentials list metals by decreasing activity

The identity of the anode and the cathode depends on the physical placement of the

half-cells.

Anodes, like anions, are always negatively charged, and cathodes, like cations, are

always positively charged.

Half – cell potential are absolute in nature and can be used to predict the spontaneity

of the half – cells.

There is no need for a standard half cell

Electrons enter the solutions from the cathode, travel through the solutions and the

salt bridge, and emerge at the anode to complete the circuit.

Cation and anions move until their concentrations are uniform

Electrons can flow through the aqueous solution without assistance from the ions.

3.0 Strategies to Overcome the Misconception among the Students

Obviously, there are many solutions and strategies that can be taken by the school teacher to

overcome the misconception problem among the students. First at all, the school teacher is

encouraged to do the introduction of ions. It is very important because the ions have been

dealt with as basic particles of matter according to Dalton’s atomic model. In order to ensure

the students understand the charges of ions and the change of ions and atoms by electron

transfer, the differentiated atomic model with nucleus and electron shells should be

introduced in the process of teaching the classroom to avoid the student’s misconception on

the respective topics.

Apart of that, the teacher should use the clear terminology to teach the concept of

electrochemistry whereby it will be much easier to formulate the half- reaction for the

oxidation as well as the reduction steps. At the mean time, the number of electrons to be

transferred can be clearly recognized in the terminology.

According to Doymus, K., Karacop, A., & Simsek, U. (2010), the teacher also been advised

that involve the atoms or ions in Galvanic cells or in batteries that are relayed and drawn by

the students themselves. It is important so that the students could more easily see through the

redox processes or even perhaps be able to repeat them independently.

Lastly, Garnett, P. J. & Treagust, D. F. (1992) explained that all the explanation by the

teacher must focus or pay attention that the observations should be done at the substance

level, but the interpretations and discussions of reaction equations should consequently take

place at the level of the smallest particles such as atoms, ions and molecules. It will ensure

the students are better understood in the concept electrochemistry in the classroom.

4.0 Conclusion

As a conclusion, most of students will face the problem of misconception in the process of

learning and studying the concept in the topic of electrochemistry. Obviously, the students

will face different types of misconception problems. Among the misconception problems are

preconceived notions, nonscientific beliefs, conceptual misunderstanding, vernacular

misconception and factual misconception. These misconceptions did bring lots of negative

implication to the process of teaching and learning in the classroom. Among the implications

are causing the whole process of teaching and learning become ineffective and teacher need

to waste lots of time to explain the correct concept in electrochemistry. On the other hand, the

students will become not interest in learning Science of Chemistry subject in the future. Due

to that, several solutions like introduce to the ions, using clear terminology, and pay attention

that the observations should be done at the substance level, but the interpretations and

discussions of reaction equations should consequently take place at the level of the smallest

particles such as atoms, ions and molecules so that the students can master the concept of the

electrochemistry in the future.

5.0 Reference

Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research Design Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods

Approaches. Sage: USA.

Dawson, C. (1997). Science Teaching in the Secondary School. Australia: Addison Wesley

Longman.

Doymus, K., Karacop, A., & Simsek, U. (2010). Effects of jigsaw and animation techniques

on students’understanding of concepts and subjects in electrochemistry. Educational

Technology Reseaech and Development, 58(6), 671–691

Eggen, P. and Kauchak, D. (2004) Educational Psychology: Windows, Classrooms. Upper

Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Garnett, P. J. & Treagust, D. F. (1992). Conceptual difficulties experienced by senior high

school students of electrochemistry: Electrochemical (galvanic) and electrolytic cells.

Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 29(10), 1079-1099.

Guesne, E. and Tiberghien, A. (1985) Children’s Ideas in Science. Philadelphia: Open

University.

Kurtz, M.J. (1995), “Using Analogies to teach College Chemistry”, Ph.D. Dissertation,

Arizona State University.

Martin, R., Sexton, C. and Gerlovich, J. (2002) Teaching Science for all Children: Methods

for Constructing Understanding. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Smela M, Currier S, Bailey E, Essignmann J. (2001). Journal of the electrochemical society.

pg 392-394. Academic Press, New York.

Tragust, et al. (1992), “Bridging Analogies in Chemistry”, International Journal of Science

Education 14, 413-422.