The Effect of Conceptual Difficulties of Undergraduate Chemistry students’ Understanding of Energy

Abstract

Much of the research into student’s conceptions of chemical ideas has focused on school age students. This study aimed at identifying specifically undergraduate chemistry student’s difficulties in determining the concepts of Energy. Data were collected from 87 undergraduate chemistry students at Dire-Dawa and Haramaya University in Ethiopia during 2011-2012 academic years. Data collection performed through two different instruments in order to determine undergraduate student’s difficulties in determining the concepts of energy in chemistry: First A diagnostic test composed of five open ended questions was specifically developed for this study; After this Thirteen participants (out of 87) were also interviewed in order to gather more information in addition to the written responses. The analysis of the result showed seven major conceptions difficulties at macroscopic level of learning, nine at molecular level and four at the quantum mechanical level. Undergraduate students attempt to interpret Energy phenomena explicitly but from our study result chemistry requires that these three approaches be integrated, but often they are separated into distinct section of the courses and are not explicitly connected. The findings reported here may contribute to conceptual development of undergraduate’s difficulties and can be utilized in research that develops teaching strategies to overcome such difficulties.