The Assessment of Students and Teachers' Understanding of Gas Laws

To reveal students' conceptual understanding of gas laws, this study focused on the understanding and application of scientific concepts in practical situations instead of the use of mathematical calculations in theoretical situations. One hundred and nineteen 11th grade students and 36 high school chemistry teachers participated in this study. We found that even very capable students possess alternative conceptions that are resistant to change. Moreover, analysis of the teachers' problem responses revealed that teachers and students held similar alternative conceptions of gases. These results indicated that not only chemistry teachers but also science educators should be encouraged to pay more attention to concept-based pedagogy.