Research On The Mental Models About "Chemical Equilibrium" Conception Of Senior High School Students

Mental model is a dynamic internal representation，which determines the way ofunderstanding the world，and affects how we react to the external stimulate. However,some concepts are complicated and abstract to some students, such as chemicalequilibrium. Accordingly, these kinds of knowledge cause some students fail toconstruct correct mental models and not to understand or grasp those specific domains.Previous studies in chemical education have claimed that students at different levelshave non-scientific concepts about chemical equilibrium.Therefore，this study tries todetect the mental models about chemical equilibrium that students may hold.Based on the review of existed research on chemical equilibrium and mentalmodel home and abroad, first, the concept of "chemical equilibrium","mental model"were made to define， then， by analyzing the value of teaching "chemicalequilibrium",he demand of curriculum standards and the arrangemen of the textbook，we designed the questionnaire for teachers，also the questionnaire for students todetect mental models about chemical equilibrium，which is developed in accordancewith the steps of the two-tier test. Data was collected from students at grade two, threeof senior high school and freshman, juniors. SPSS18.0software was used to countdata. We summarized the types and characteristics of students at different levelsmental models of chemical equilibrium, and students ’ mental models were classifiedinto seven kinds：intuitive model, language model, imaginary model, reasoning errormodel,the inertia of thinking model,mathematical logic model and scientificmodel.With futher analysis,we concluded that：1. Students from different grades exists incomplete or defective knowledgestructure about chemical equilibrium.2. The development of mental models held by different students is gradual.3. Students ’ mental models of chemical equilibrium are unstable4. Students ’ understanding of chemical equilibrium parallel with the historicaldevelopmentAt last, we analyzed the factors that affect student mental models of chemicalequilibrium, and made recommendations for teaching "chemical equilibrium"relevant knowledge.