ERIC Number: EJ1166891
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Apr
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1756-1108
EISSN: N/A
Dual Meaning Vocabulary (DMV) Words in Learning Chemistry
Song, Youngjin; Carheden, Shannon
Chemistry Education Research and Practice, v15 n2 p128-141 Apr 2014
Learning chemistry vocabulary that has both scientific and everyday meanings, which we call dual meaning vocabulary (DMV), can be challenging for many students. This qualitative study investigated how college students understand 11 selected DMV words before and after traditional chemistry instruction and to what extent they retain the scientific meanings of them. The challenges these students encountered as they learned DMV words were also examined. Thirteen non-science major students with limited chemistry background were interviewed throughout the study. Data were analyzed by inductive analysis utilizing a grounded theory approach and constant comparative methods. Our results indicate that (1) most college students initially held everyday meanings of the selected DMV words, which were deeply associated with their personal experiences from early years; (2) the everyday meanings of DMV were continuously rooted in students' thinking after instruction so that they struggled with retaining the scientific meanings of it; and (3) the infrequent use of DMV in meaningful contexts, students' rote memorization of DMV, and a lack of prior understanding of other science vocabularies were identified as challenges in learning DMV. These themes are discussed in-depth with various theoretical perspectives in investigating the relationship between everyday and scientific language and understanding. Concrete implications for teaching DMV in chemistry are proposed. The study also calls for further research on the role of the language of science in chemistry education.
Descriptors: Chemistry, Science Instruction, Nonmajors, Interviews, Grounded Theory, Comparative Analysis, Qualitative Research, College Students, Conventional Instruction, Barriers, Vocabulary Development, Language Usage, Study Habits, Prior Learning
Royal Society of Chemistry. Thomas Graham House, Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge, CB4 0WF, UK. Tel: +44-1223 420066; Fax: +44-1223 423623; e-mail: cerp@rsc.org; Web site: http://www.rsc.org/cerp
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A