The Chemical Education Journal (CEJ), Vol. 9, No. 2 (Serial No. 17). The date of issue: January 30, 2007./Registration No. 9-10/Received December 17, 2005.
URL = http://www.juen.ac.jp/scien/cssj/cejrnlE.html

Is it molecules? Again!
A review of students' learning about particle theory.

Helen Meyer

Secondary Science Education, PO Box 210002, University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH 45221, U. S. A.

E-mail: Helen.meyeruc.edu

Abstract:

Is it molecules? Again! I frequently heard this from my school age students as they tried to explain different and seemingly unrelated phenomenon outside of the science classroom. The particulate nature of matter and all this theory explains is a central feature of science and is given a great deal of attention in school science curriculum, yet past and present research indicates that students do not understand it. This article summarizes research from the late 70s and early 80s as the baseline of our knowledge of students' understanding of the particle nature of matter. I then review more current literature in this area, its change in focus and what this new research adds to the knowledge base. From here, I discuss how these knowledge bases indicate that although the particulate nature of matter is a central theory in science, important questions still remain to be answered such as: do students actually understand, believe, and use this theory as to explain science and everyday events? And does science instruction create a nominal and mathematical view of molecules that students use in science classes to answer questions, but do not truly believe to exist? The implications arising from this review include the need for research that includes international comparisons of students' chemistry learning and curriculum organization, and longitudinal studies in order to develop cognitively guided and developmentally appropriate chemistry curriculum.

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