Examination of Undergraduates’ Cognitive Structures on Reaction Rates and Chemical Equilibrium

Year 2019, Volume: 45 Issue: 45, 335 - 352, 03.01.2019

Şenol Şen , Lütfiye Varoğlu , Ayhan Yılmaz

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine undergraduate
students' cognitive structures about reaction rates and chemical equilibrium
through word association test and to analyse the correlations between the
results obtained in Word Association Test (WAT) and in open-ended questions.
The research was conducted in a foundation university within the framework of
General Chemistry II course with the participation of 77 first year students.
Open-ended questions and word association test about the subjects of reaction
rates and chemical equilibrium prepared by the researchers were used as a data
collection tools. The method of cut-point was employed in revealing students’
cognitive structures. Content analysis, Kruskal Wallis test and correlation
analysis were used in analysing the data. Consequently, it was found that there
were high-level significant correlations between students’ total WAT scores and
the total scores they had received from open-ended questions. Significant
differences were found between students’ total WAT scores according to Kruskal
Wallis test results at six different levels of knowledge. As a result, it may
be said that word association test can be used as an alternative assessment
tool in revealing students’ cognitive structures.

Keywords

chemical equilibrium, reaction rate, cognitive structure, undergraduates

Üniversite Öğrencilerinin Reaksiyon Hızı ve Kimyasal Denge Konusundaki Bilişsel Yapılarının İncelenmesi

Abstract

Bu çalışmanın amacı üniversite öğrencilerinin
reaksiyon hızı ve kimyasal denge konuları ile ilgili bilişsel yapılarını Kelime
İlişkilendirme Testi (KİT) ile belirlemek ve kelime ilişkilendirme testi
sonuçları ile açık uçlu soruların sonuçları arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemektir. Çalışma,
bir vakıf üniversitesinde, Genel Kimya II dersi kapsamında, birinci sınıfa
devam eden 77 öğrenci ile yürütülmüştür. Veri toplama aracı olarak, reaksiyon
hızı ve kimyasal denge konuları ile ilgili araştırmacılar tarafından
hazırlanmış olan açık uçlu sorular ve kelime ilişkilendirme testi
kullanılmıştır. Öğrencilerin bilişsel yapılarının ortaya çıkartılmasında kesme
noktası yönteminden yararlanılmıştır. Verilerin analizinde; içerik analizi,
Kruskal Wallis testi ve korelasyon analizi kullanılmıştır. Çalışmanın sonunda,
öğrencilerin KİT toplam puanları ile açık uçlu sorulardan aldıkları toplam
puanlar arasında yüksek düzeyde anlamlı bir ilişkinin olduğu bulunmuştur. Kruskal
Wallis testi sonuçlarına göre, altı farklı bilgi düzeyine göre gruplandırılmış
öğrencilerin KİT toplam puanları arasında anlamlı bir farklılık olduğu tespit
edilmiştir. Sonuç olarak, kelime ilişkilendirme testlerinin öğrencilerin
bilişsel yapılarının ortaya çıkarılmasında alternatif bir değerlendirme aracı
olarak kullanılabileceği söylenebilir. 

Keywords

kimyasal denge, reaksiyon hızı, bilişsel yapı, üniversite öğrencileri

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