ABSTRACT
An understanding of chemistry requires students to integrate and link fundamental chemical concepts such as chemical and physical change. Do students develop these understandings in secondary school chemistry? Studies reveal that even after a year of chemistry instruction, secondary students lack conceptual understanding of basic chemical concepts (Andersson, 1986; Ben-Zvi, Eylon, & Silberstein, 1982, 1987; Hesse & Anderson, 1988; Osborne & Cosgrove, 1983; Yarroch, 1985). Students learn factual information; however, they do not develop a conceptual framework that helps them understand other chemical concepts and phenomena. Although students will not develop the integrated understanding that a PhD in chemistry has developed, students should develop an understanding that serves as a foundation for learning other related chemical and scientific concepts. Chemical and physical change, the particulate nature of matter, kinetic molecular theory, and the interactive and dynamic aspects of chemical reactions are fundamental to the understanding of chemistry. An understanding of other chemical concepts depends on students developing an integrated understanding of these concepts.
