Understanding the states of matter among seventh grade students

V diplomskem delu je predstavljena raziskava razumevanja agregatnih stanj snovi in kroženja vode v naravi pri učencih sedmega razreda osnovne šole. V teoretičnem delu so opisani koncepti trojne narave kemijskih pojmovJohnstonov trikotnik treh ravni kemijskega pojmamodel soodvisnosti treh ravni naravoslovnih pojmovmodel poučevanja in učenja kemije ter rezultati in ključne ugotovitve različnih raziskav o napačnem razumevanju agregatnih stanj snovi in kemijskih pojmov, povezanih z njimi. V nadaljevanju teoretičnega dela sledi pregled izbranih učbenikov in učnih načrtov pri predmetih spoznavanje okolja, naravoslovje in tehnika ter naravoslovje od prvega do sedmega razreda osnovne šole. V empiričnem delu so predstavljeni rezultati analize preizkusov znanja in interpretacija rezultatov z vidika razumevanja kemijskih pojmov. Glavni namen diplomskega dela je bil ugotoviti razumevanje kemijskih pojmov, povezanih z agregatnimi stanji vode, prehodov med agregatnimi stanji na submikroskopski ravni predstavitev kemijskih pojmov in razumevanje procesa kroženja vode v naravi pri učencih sedmega razreda osnovne šole. Za namen raziskave je bil narejen pisni preizkus znanja, ki je zajemal ključne kemijske pojme, povezane z učnimi vsebinami o agregatnih stanjih snovi, prehodih med agregatnimi stanji snovi in kroženju vode v naravi. V raziskavi je sodelovalo 228 učencev sedmega razreda osnovnih šol v Ljubljani in njeni okolici. Rezultati raziskave kažejo, da testirani učenci sedmega razreda osnovne šole na submikroskopski ravni predstavitve nimajo težav pri prepoznavanju agregatnih stanj snovi. Težave se pojavijo pri razumevanju submikroskopskih predstavitev procesov kondenzacije, izhlapevanja in taljenja. Več kot polovica testiranih učencev iz submikroskopske porazdelitve delcev snovi ni prepoznala faznega prehoda med tekočim in plinastim agregatnim stanjem snovi. Učenci imajo težave tudi pri razumevanju kemijskih pojmov, povezanih s procesom kroženja vode v naravi, vendar proces poznajo.The thesis presents a survey of understanding of physical forms of substance and of water circulation in nature among the pupils of the seventh grade of primary school. The theoretical part presents the concepts of triple nature of chemical conceptsJohnstone\u27s triangle with three levels of chemical conceptsinterdependence of three levels of science concepts modelmodel of teaching and learning chemistry, and the results and key findings from various studies in the field of false understanding of physical forms of substance and chemical concepts related to them. Furthermore, the theoretical part of the thesis gives an overview of selected school textbooks and curricula of subjects Environmental Education, Natural Science and Technology and Natural Sciences from the first to the seventh grade of primary school. The empirical part presents the results of the tests analysis and the interpretation of results from the point of view of understanding of chemical concepts. The main purpose of the thesis was to determine the understanding of the concepts related to the physical forms of water, transitions between physical forms at the submicroscopic level, presentation of chemical concepts and understanding of the process of water circulation among pupils of the seventh grade of primary school. An adapted written test was prepared for the purpose of the survey, which covered the key chemical concepts related to the teaching content of physical forms of substance, transitions between physical forms of substance and water circulation in nature. 228 pupils of the seventh class of elementary schools from Ljubljana and its surroundings participated in the survey. The results of the survey indicate that the tested pupils of the seventh grade of primary schools do not have any difficulties in identifying the physical forms of substance at the submicroscopic level. The problems occur in the understanding of submicroscopic presentations of the condensation, evaporation and melting process. More than half of the tested pupils did not recognize the phase transition between liquid and gaseous form of substance based on the submicroscopic distribution of substance particles. The pupils also have difficulties understanding the chemical concepts related to the process of water circulation in nature, but they are familiar with the process