Elementary and High School Teachers’ (Mis)Conceptions on the Nature of Matter
Keywords:
particulate nature of matter, misconceptions, elementary school teachers, high school teachersAbstract
This study explores the conceptions about the nature of matter and the kinetic-corpuscular theory among 99 primary and secondary school teachers in Buenos Aires. They participated in activities such as multiple-choice questions and problem-solving. The results revealed misconceptions regarding phase changes, the spacing between particles, and the relationship between kinetic energy and particle motion. While secondary school teachers showed a better understanding of the particulate nature of matter, misconceptions such as the belief that particles change size during phase transitions or that there is no space between particles in the solid state prevailed. Primary school teachers tended toward intuitive and continuous models of matter. These findings highlight the need for interventions to address these misconceptions and improve teacher training in fundamental concepts about matter.
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