INVESTIGATION OF UNIVERSITY CHEMISTRY STUDENTS’ MENTAL MODELS OF METALLIC BONDING AND STRUCTURE OF METAL

Abstract

This study identifies second-year chemistry students’ mental models of metallic bonding and structure of metals by using a phenomenographic analysis. Mental models are real representations of objects, ideas or process which individuals generate during the learning process. Sample group consisted of 64 (43 female and 21 male) chemistry students taught all metallic bonding theories. To obtain an in-depth understanding of chemistry students’ mental models, the data were collected by using a written instrument with two open-ended questions. They were asked to explain the bonding in the cupper metallic structure by drawing in the first question.  In the second question, they were asked to define what the metallic bonding is. The analysis of the data was conducted on two different dates by using the content analysis method by the author. It was concluded that most of the students’ mental models were simple, in contrast with the sophisticated complex models taught. Some of the students have also hybrid models of the bonding theories.