Exploration of mental models of high school students on acid-base theory material Dwi Novita Putri (a) , Antuni Wiyarsi (b)
(a) Master of Chemistry Education Study Program, Faculty Mathematics and Natural Science, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia
dwinovita.2019[at]student.uny.ac.id
(b) Chemistry Education Department, Faculty Mathematics and Natural Science, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Abstract
This study aimed to explore students^ mental models of acid-base theory (Arhenius, Brønsted-Lowry, and Lewis). This research was conducted in semester of the 2020/2021 academic school year. Qualitative research with phenomenology involved 25 students of class XI as participants. The technique of collecting data with a depth interview was guided by 10 questions in an open-ended question. Content analysis techniques with interpretive or inductive coding were used to analyze the data that ended with an FGD. The results showed that the students had five classifications of mental models regarding the sub-concept of acid-base theory, namely the True Scientific Mental Model (MMBI)- Partially Correct Mental Model (MMBS)- Mixed Mental Model (MMC)- Primitive Mental Model (MMP)- and the Unexplored Mental Model (MMTT). Many students use primitive concepts in representing the concept of a reaction equation based on the Brønsted-Lowry theory. The factors that cause students difficulty in representing the concept are a) half-hearted understanding- b) tend to memorize material- and c) misconceptions originating from the wrongful arrest of participants. This has implications for the importance of an active chemistry learning system that trains students to think scientifically.
