Critical thinking, a rational and open higher-order thinking mode in human cognition, is becoming imperative to success in modern life. Therefore, cultivating students' critical thinking has become a common goal of education reform worldwide. Teachers play a crucial role in cultivating students' critical thinking. However, existing studies have…

The galvanic cell is a basic concept in electrochemistry. To assess mainland Chinese students' proficiency levels in galvanic cells, the Galvanic Cell Proficiency Level Assessment (GCPA) was developed based on the Rasch model. The GCPA was developed through a pilot test and consists of seven multiple-choice questions and four open questions. The…

This study uses graphs of conductivity measured by a microcomputer-based laboratory (MBL) to promote students' macro, micro, and symbolic representations when learning about net ionic reactions (NIR). A total of 54 students, aged 14-15 years old participated in this research, and were randomly divided into an experimental group (N = 27) and a…

Students have various conceptions of electrolytes in learning chemistry. The aim of this study is to identify 10th grade students' understanding of the electrolyte concept by using a phenomenographic method. Eight students, whose abilities were at different levels, were selected and interviewed. The findings show that four distinctive categories…

To assess students' conceptual understanding levels and diagnose alternative frameworks of the electrolyte concept, a measurement instrument was developed using the Rasch model. This paper reports the use of the measurement instrument to assess 559 students from grade 10 to grade 12 in two cities. The results provided both diagnostic and summative…