5th grade students' understanding of dissolving concepts in primary school

Decreasing interest of students in science is one of the preferential problems of current education system. Chemistry for instance often represents a specific issue in primary schools due to its abstract features which make it difficult for students to understand the basic concepts and therefore they develop misconceptions. This leads to failure, lack of interest and negative attitude towards certain topics or school subjects. During schooling, students obtain the basic concept of scientific literacy and by learning natural science they develop a proper understanding of concepts and terminology. The development of concepts is related to students’ reasoning abilities; and since they are formed gradually and over a longer period of time, students have to be acquainted with the basic concepts several times. Possible misconceptions can be formed because of simplifying, generalizing and using the wrong terminology. Misconceptions may also be present in adulthood, which means the teacher's role in concept transformation is of great importance. Teacher’s professional development should also encompass the development of competences which help them to recognize misconceptions within different learning topics, in order to be able to effectively diminish them. Specific attention has to be directed to lessons preparations which stimulate and develop students' interest, curiosity and critical thinking. Therefore, it is important for teachers to know their students' attitude towards a particular topic or subject. With the right teaching approach, the teacher can also encourage students to develop a more positive attitude towards science. The research aim of this master's thesis is to present how 5th grade students understand the concept of dissolving and how this relates to their attitude towards science. Inappropriate use of science terminology can influence students’ science knowledge, and the formation of their beliefs and attitudes towards nature; therefore, it is important to pay attention and to identify possible misconceptions. The results of the research have shown that understanding of the concept of dissolving is above average, but some misconceptions were identified nonetheless. It was found individual interest and self-concept in science learning are not correlated to academic achievement. The students generally showed a positive attitude towards science, but there were some gender differences - the girls showed a more positive attitude towards science than boys, and the boys showed higher science achievement