CHED 233 |
| Upper-level chemistry students exhibit a recurring difficulty when trying to understand the concepts behind and solve buffer/equilibria problems. First, we observed classrooms to gather data about the way professors explain the concepts. Then, in order to gain insight as to the nature of the thought processes for solving these types of problems, we asked students and professors to participate in interviews where they used a "think-aloud" protocol to solve problems in addition to describing their perspectives of what a buffer is. Our research focuses on identifying the various misconceptions that students have, along with the general obstacles that lead to these misconceptions. We will also describe the disparity between the professors' and the upper-level students' perspectives of buffers and acid-base equilibrium problems. |
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Undergraduate Research Poster Session
2:30 PM-4:30 PM, Monday, August 20, 2007 BCEC -- Exhibit Hall - B2, Poster
Division of Chemical Education |