Identifying Students’ Alternative Concepts in Basic Chemical Bonding – A Case Study of Teacher Trainees in the University of Education, Winneba

The study developed a diagnostic instrument to identify misconceptions that teacher trainees have of chemistry topics in relation to ionic and covalent bonding. Students’ initial ideas on these topics were collated through classroom discourse, Treagust’s (1988) and Tan and Treagust’s (1999) adapted diagnostic tests, concept maps and whole class interviews during the first week of interaction with teacher trainees in 2011. These data were used to produce 20 two-tier multiple choice items in four concept areas. The test had a Cronbach alpha reliability of 0.75. Item difficulties ranged from 0.12 to 0.65. Discrimination values ranged from 0.32-0.60. The diagnostic instrument was administered to 98 undergraduate teacher trainees in their second year of chemistry education at the University of Education, Winneba. The participants’ scores on each item were analysed by simple percentages to identify their misconceptions on basic chemical bonding and structure. The identified alternative concepts have been presented and discussed and possible teaching remedies suggested.