@article {569, title = {IDENTIFICATION OF THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE STATES OF MATTER OF WATER AND AIR AMONG SLOVENIAN STUDENTS AGED 12, 14 AND 16 YEARS THROUGH SOLVING AUTHENTIC TASKS}, journal = {Journal of Baltic Science Education}, volume = {16}, year = {2017}, month = {June/2017}, pages = {Continuous}, type = {Original article}, chapter = {308-323}, abstract = {The aim of the research was to identify how Slovenian primary and secondary school students of various age groups explain the particulate nature of the states of matter of water and air. The qualitative research included five 12, 14, and 16 year old students. A semi-structured interview including four computer-displayed tasks was used for the data collection. The research results show that all of the students correctly identified the states of matter of water at the particulate level, but not of air. It was found that the students had difficulty justifying their selection. The study confirmed the existence of: (a) misunderstanding regarding the interpretation of the particulate nature of matter, (b) a failure to distinguish between particle and matter, and (c) the inadequate description of submicroscopic level of matter with macroscopic level concept. The survey results provide an insight into the mindset of students and serve as a starting point for teachers{\textquoteright} lesson planning.}, keywords = {authentic tasks, macroscopic level, misunderstanding of pressure, states of matter, submicroscopic level}, isbn = {E-ISSN 2538-7138}, issn = {1648-3898}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.33225/jbse/17.16.308}, url = {http://oaji.net/articles/2017/987-1497963826.pdf}, author = {Miha Slapni{\v c}ar and Iztok Devetak and Sa{\v s}a A. Gla{\v z}ar and Jerneja Pavlin} } @article {437, title = {DYNAMIC VISUALIZATION IN THE VIRTUAL LABORATORY ENHANCES THE FUNDAMENTAL UNDERSTANDING OF CHEMICAL CONCEPTS}, journal = {Journal of Baltic Science Education}, volume = {14}, year = {2015}, month = {June/2015}, pages = {Continuous}, type = {Original article}, chapter = {351-365}, abstract = {In natural science education it is important that the macroscopic, submicroscopic and symbolic levels are interconnected in a student{\textquoteright}s mind. Primary school children have the greatest difficulty in understanding the sub-microscopic, which is outside their experiential framework. This research examines the classroom application of the virtual laboratory in integrating macroscopic, submicroscopic and symbolic aspects of chemistry. Pupils of the seventh grade, aged between 12 and 13 years (N = 225), participated in the didactic experiment that was conducted in ten primary schools in Slovenia. The fundamental research question was whether pupils studying the same natural science content using the virtual laboratory performed better than those who did not. The results of the experiment revealed that in terms of knowledge acquisition the use of a virtual laboratory improved pupil performance in relation to those who did not use elements of dynamic visualisation in the classroom. In accordance with Bloom{\textquoteright}s cognitive scale, it was demonstrated that in relation to basic, higher and advanced levels of knowledge and comprehension, the use of the virtual laboratory positively influences pupils{\textquoteright} understanding of selected concepts in chemistry. }, keywords = {chemical concepts, dynamic visualization, submicroscopic level, virtual laboratory}, issn = {1648-3898}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.33225/jbse/15.14.351}, url = {http://oaji.net/articles/2016/987-1479497157.pdf}, author = {Nata{\v s}a Rizman Herga and Sa{\v s}a A. Gla{\v z}ar and Dejan Dinevski} }