TURKISH UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS’ MISCONCEPTIONS ON ACIDS AND BASES

This study is aimed at determining students' misconceptions about acids and bases. In order to fulfill this aim, open-ended diagnostic questions and semi-structured interviews were used. The diagnostic questions were administered to 91 undergraduates who enrolled in the Primary Science Teacher Training Department in a state university in Turkey. In addition 11 students were interviewed in order to clarify their written responses and to further probe students' conceptual understandings of the questions asked in the test. The findings revealed a number of misconceptions. The results have implications for tertiary level teaching, suggesting that a substantial review of teaching strategies is needed.