Exploring Grade 9 Students' Representation About Characteristics of Atom

Abstract

     The purpose of this research was to explore grade 9 students' representation about characteristics of atom in a special large school in Khon Kaen. A survey was conducted with 270 students using 10 opened concept survey and interview form. The concepts in these instruments included atom definition, atomic structure, characteristics of atom, constituents of atom and electrons surrounding. This paper presents only students' representation about characteristic of atom. The data from concept survey and interview were analyzed and categorized with the classification criterion adapted from Tytler and Peterson (2000). The result showed that most students (67.40%) explained the arrangement of particles of substances (particle model) when they were asked to show characteristic of atom in each state. The students did not identify which part of that model is atom. Moreover, some students showed Thomson and Bohr atomic model but their explanations related on only on arrangement of the arrangement of particles of substances.