Investigation of chemistry department and chemistry teaching students' conceptual understandings about electronegativity and electron affinity

Electronegativity and electron affinity are fundamental topics in upper secondary education chemistry curricula. Previous studies have shown that students experience difficulties in understanding these concepts and often have alternative conceptions. The aim of this study is to examine students' conceptual understanding of electronegativity and electron affinity and identify potential alternative conceptions related to these topics. The study involves a total of 119 students enrolled in the Chemistry Teacher Education program of the Faculty of Education and the Chemistry Department of the Faculty of Science and Literature at a university, including 46 students from the Faculty of Education and 73 students from the Faculty of Science and Literature, attending first-year to fourth-year levels. As a data collection instrument, the Electronegativity and Electron Affinity Concept Test (EEACT) was developed and utilized. At the conclusion of the study, students were found to hold a total of 37 different alternative conceptions regarding electronegativity and electron affinity. The abstract nature of these concepts suggests that students may develop alternative conceptions based on prior knowledge and that certain textbook expressions might lead students toward alternative conceptions. Based on these findings, the study provides recommendations for addressing and correcting these alternative conceptions as well as improving the instruction of these concepts.