The mental models and cognitive maps of chemistry education students on chemical bonds

The aim of this study is to reach preservice chemistry teachers? mental models of chemical bonding and to present these models visually with the help of cognitive maps which is an analysis method.In this study, among the qualitative study methods, case study method is used. The qualitative data for each participants is examined one by one, analyzed and the obtained results are brought together. In order to analyze the qualitative data, content analysis is used.The study is completed in two steps which are main and pilot. Pilot study is carried out with the preservice chemistry teacher (N=5) in 2008-2009. The main study is carried out with the (N=12). In the study, the interview protocol regarding chemical bonding is used. The interview protocol consists of 8 main titles, 24 target concepts and 56 questions.In the direction of the data obtained from the interview form, mental models of the students are presented and their cognitive maps are created. According to the results, the participants present their mental models related to the ionic bonding using electrostatic model. They define ionic bond in this way: it is that (+) and (-) poles which are formed with the result of electron change in order to adapt to octet rule pull each other. In the mental models of the participants on covalent bonding there is a common view that atoms use their electrons together in order to be more stable and to resemble inert-gas system. While they are presenting their mental models on metallic bonding, they use electron-sea model.