EVALUATING OF PRE-SERVICE SCIENCE TEACHERS’ UNDERSTANDING OF GENERAL CHEMISTRY CONCEPTS BY USING TWO TIER DIAGNOSTIC TEST

Abstract

This research aimed at evaluating pre-service science teachers’ understanding of the subject matters such as “thermochemistry, chemical kinetics, chemical equilibrium, acids and bases and electrochemistry”. For this purpose, a two-tier diagnostic test consisting of 44 items (α = 0.84) related to the aforementioned concepts was developed by the researchers. This test was applied on to the first, second, and third year pre-service science teachers in Hasan Ali Yucel Education Faculty, Istanbul University. The results showed that the pre-service science teachers had alternative conceptions about endothermic-exothermic reactions, conservation of energy, reaction enthalpy, calorimeters; rate of reaction, reaction rate constant, effects of some factors on reaction rate and reaction rate constant; effects of some factors on equilibrium, equilibrium dynamics, Le Chatelier Principle; equivalence point, end point, indicators, buffers, titrations, neutralization, strength and properties of acids and bases, pH; effects of concentrations on cell potential, metal electrodes, localization of anode and cathode, plating, galvanization. Key words: acids and bases, alternative conception, chemical equilibrium, chemical kinetic, electrochemistry, thermochemistry, two tier diagnostic test.