Abstract
The use of the method of constrained word associations to gain knowledge on the conception of the chemical equilibrium concept is reported. The analysis provides information on: A general indication of change in the cognitive structure of students associated with chemical comprehension. The comparison of clusters of concepts at pre‐ and postinstruction indicating the associated concepts. A graphical representation of the links among concepts which resulted from instruction. The results obtained by this technique were similar to those obtained by the method of free sorting of a set of concepts. As the latter was found to correlate with problem‐solving ability, it is argued that the method of constrained word associations is a reliable tool for mapping certain aspects of cognitive structure concerned with understanding.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 319-333 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | Journal of Research in Science Teaching |
| Volume | 25 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1 Jan 1988 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Education