Enhancing prospective chemistry teachers cognitive structures in the topics of bonding and hybridization by internet-assisted chemistry applications

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of internet-assisted chemistry applications on prospective chemistry teachers’ cognitive structures in the topics of bonding and hybridization. The sample of the study consisted of 36 prospective chemistry teachers attending Hacettepe University, Faculty of Education, the Department of Chemistry Education in 2010-2011 academic year and taking Basic Chemistry I lesson. In the study, students were separated into experimental and control groups according to their pre-cognitive structures. Students were requested to answer two open ended questions. Answers by each student were gathered and evaluated by flow map method. “Bonding and hybridization” topics were taught to control group with traditional teaching method and to experimental group besides traditional method internet-assisted applications were conducted. The same open-ended questions were given to both groups and their cognitive structures were examined once more. The differences between control and experimental groups’ cognitive structures were examined. A significant difference was identified in favour of experimental group (p<0, 05). The mean score of the Experimental group was X=19.94, and the mean score of the Control group was X=13.88. In addition, subsequent to internet assisted chemistry applications differences in terms of concepts and descriptions in prospective chemistry teachers’ in experimental and control group cognitive structure have been determined. When post flow maps of prospective chemistry teachers in experimental group, on whom internet assisted chemistry applications were made, are formed, it has been determined that there are more statements about hybridization, hybridization types, molecule geometry and bond angles compared to control grou