A Cross-National Review of the Studies on the Particulate Nature of Matter and Related Concepts

This study has reviewed the last three decades of students’ conception researches on the particulate nature of matter (PNM). To achieve this, criteria were developed to summarize and present the findings by focusing on insights derived from the related studies. The criteria incorporated the following themes: year, type (students’ understanding, comparative, experimental, or review), aim, sample and data collection tools. Seventy nine papers were examined in the study. These papers were related to students’ understanding and alternative conceptions of the PNM and the effects of different methods on students’ learning. The results of the studies reports that traditional teaching strategies are ineffective in helping students to develop a complete understanding of the matter, phase changes and the PNM, to alleviate alternative conceptions, and to promote conceptual change. And also, most of the new methods have positive effect on students’ conceptual understanding and alternative conceptions. This study intends to provide useful knowledge for teachers, researchers, curriculum developers and textbook writers.

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