This document discusses using Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) to identify chemistry students' misconceptions and determine effective ways to help students redefine their concepts. CATs are formative assessments that provide precise information on what students know, don't know, and misunderstand. The study aims to evaluate the feasibility of a CAT developed for 10th grade chemistry and whether it can help improve the performance of struggling students. Examples of best practices for CATs include deciding the learning goals, explaining the purpose to students, keeping assessments anonymous, and not grading them.

1. Identifying and
reformulating
students
misconceptions in
chemistry.
December 18
2012
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2. Introduction- Relevant
Research
 Chemistry is abstract by nature (Gabel 1999).
 It involves moving between multiple levels of
representation, i.e. symbolic, microscopic and
macroscopic ( Johnstone 2006)
 This leads to the development of Chemical
misconceptions.
 The term misconception means any concept
That differs from the commonly accepted
scientific understanding of term.
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3.  For Example Water
1- Most 2- year-old children
Can recognize and name the colorless,
odorless liquid in glass because they
know the properties of the phenomenon
water.
2- another way to understand water is to
represent it as collection of particles
(molecules) with attractive forces between
them
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4. This representation is more
Complex than focusing on physical
properties of water.
Third way is representing water by
the symbol of hydrogen and
oxygen to represent the formula
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5. with
Chemical misconception ?
1. Misconception interferes with learning new
concepts derived from scientific theory
2. Learner’s misconception “affect what they
Perceived to be happening in the classroom
demonstration or laboratory experiments”
3. They are not changed or reduced by
traditional forms of instruction.
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6. Purpose
 The purpose of this study is to
use CAT (Classroom
Assessment Techniques) as
methods of identifying students
misconceptions in chemistry,
and then to determine what
types of treatments might be
effective toward helping
students redefine their concepts .
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7. Classroom Assessment Technique has been
enforced in Thailand as a result of
Educational reform. The Science Education
Department has reviewed their teaching and
students’ assessment processes. The use of
Classroom Assessment Technique improve
students’ learning abilities and teachers’
teaching strategies in 10 grade chemistry
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8. What is Classroom Assessment
Techniques?
Classroom Assessment Technique is formative
assessment that can give you a precise idea of
what your students like, what they are learning,
what are their misconceptions about certain
topic in chemistry, and what their attitudes are.
By paying close attention to the climate in your
classroom, you will be a more effective
instructor.

10. Classroom Assessment
Techniques (CATs)
can help teachers learn what students
know or don’t know or misunderstand.
 Learner-Centered
 Teacher-Directed
 Mutually Beneficial
 Formative
 Context-Specific
 Ongoing
 Rooted in Good Teaching Practice
--Angelo, T. & Cross, P. (1993)
Classroom Assessment Techniques.
2 nd Ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

11. Hypothesis of the study
1.How feasible is the CAT developed by the
teacher for 10 grade chemistry class.
2. Can the CAT help improve a poorly
performing student to achieve in chemistry
class?
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12. Best Practices of CAT’s
•Decide what you want to learn from the assessments : Just like a
scientific experiment, you need to have a purpose behind each assessment.
For instance, you can ask your class, “What is the most important thing you
learned today?” Give them one minute to write their response on a piece of
paper.
•Set goals : Have long-term goals for your class and administer
assessments regularly to track progress. For instance, to encourage your
class’s excitement about chemistry, you could create an attitude survey that
you administer at regular intervals throughout the quarter or semester and
use the feedback to adjust the curriculum.
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13. Explain the purpose of the activity to
students : Always explain to your students why
you are administering a CAT and what you are
trying to learn from it. This will help the students
learn from the experience and provide a context
for their answers.
.
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14. Keep assessments anonymous : If you really
want honest feedback from your students, keep
assessments anonymous.
Do not grade assessments:
CAT’s are meant to help instructors.
Present your result to class. Well designed CAT
will help students learn as well as the teacher.
Focus on area where are they failing behind
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17. I started using the Classroom Assessment
Techniques in my chemistry class. Indeed
I started reviewing my teaching strategies
and my low performing students improve in the
test and labs.
Example of Classroom assessment Techniques
in Regents chemistry next slide
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18. Muddiest Point
• What is the muddiest point or the most
confusing part of the "balancing chemical
equations ?
• You have two minutes to respond and please
use no more than one or two sentences. This
is a way to assess how you are learning and
not what you have learned. As we go through
the semester there will be other types of
assessment. This will allow you to focus more
on your ability to learn and allow me to focus
on the best methods to deliver the concepts.
• Thanks
• Your Chemistry teacher

19. Defining Features Matrix
In the following Matrix please categorize each
situation as (+)-Safe or (o)-Unsafe.
Situation Safe Unsafe
Walking into the lab (yesterday or today) 36% 64%
without goggles to get your lab notebook
Leaving your ice cream spoon on the table 18% 82%
Pouring paper pulp down the sink 5% 95%
Using a chemical without reading the label 100%
Placing an unlabeled beaker on the counter 100%
by the window
Noting water on the floor and telling your lab 86% 14%
partner
Joking about drinking some of the 23% 77%
chemicals that you are using
Place your nose close to the chemicals you 100%
are smelling
Chewing gum in the lab area 18% 82%

20. Thank You
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