Abstract

The alternative concepts movement that emerged in the 1970s continues to be highly relevant in the teaching of sciences, particularly chemistry, given that it can be the starting point for teachers to revisit their pedagogic practices. In this respect, the alternative concepts movement currently discusses the tendencies of chemistry teaching research, such as problem-solving, experimental chemistry teaching, the scientific, technological and societal approach, among others. As such, the present study aimed to analyze the alternative ideas of high school students regarding the atomistic nature of matter and whether they reflect the results obtained in other research on the issue. The methodology involved preparing two open questions and their subsequent application to 20 second-year high school students at a private institution. Categories were established a priori as follows: satisfactory, partially satisfactory, not satisfactory or evasive answers. The findings were satisfactory, with most of the students presenting scientifically accepted ideas. Moreover, they did not exhibit the same pattern as in other investigations involving students from different teaching levels.

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