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A burning issue for chemistry teachers
Citation
Boo, H. K. (1995). A burning issue for chemistry teachers. Teaching and Learning, 15(2), 52-60.
Author
Boo, Hong Kwen
Abstract
In the area of chemistry education the subject of burning continues to be a source of conceptual problems for many students of all ages. Research has shown that students' ideas on what is happening in a chemical reaction described as 'burning' or 'combustion' are many and varied, ranging from the assertion that in some cases (for example, metals) no chemical change takes place, through confusion of the role of oxygen in the reaction system, to difficulties in describing the energetics involved. This paper reviews many of the misconceptions about burning reactions uncovered in recent research and discusses some of the underlying fundamental problems in students' understandings of the chemistry principles that lead to them. Some advice is offered to science teachers in helping students overcome their difficulties in this area.
Date Issued
1995
Publisher
Institute of Education (Singapore)