Determination of preservice chemistry teachers' chemical representation levels and understandi̇ng levels of solubility by drawings

Chemistry is one of the disciplines of science that are difficult to learn and teach because it has abstract nature. The purpose of this study is to determine the level of teacher candidates' comprehension of chemical representations of solubility and the subject of solubility by particulate drawings. In the study, 36 chemistry teacher candidates who were studying in 3rd and 4th grade of Chemistry Teacher Education Program at Van Yüzüncü Yıl University and Gazi University were selected as sample group. In addition, the case study, a qualitative research method, was determined as the research design in order to examine thoroughly the level of chemistry teacher candidates' comprehension of solubility. In the study, the data were collected by using a test that included questions about the solubility and the factors affecting it, such as filling in the blanks (24 items), drawing and interpreting graphs (3 items), open-enden questions (4 items), and particulate drawings with explanation (8 items). By analyzing the data obtained from the test by content analysis method, answers of teacher candidates and their particulate drawings were evaluated as correct, partially correct and incorrect answer / drawing. In addition, the data obtained were grouped according to the macroscopic, submicroscopic, and symbolic level, which are the basic representation levels of the chemistry. Findings have shown that teacher candidates were insufficient in the level of understanding of all three levels of representation. Notably in the submicroscopic level, the level of their understanding was determined to be low. It has been seen that chemistry teacher candidates understand the unsaturated and saturated solution concepts related to the macroscopic level of solution, but it turns out that these teachers have mistaken supersaturated solutions for the solutions which contains solid on the bottom. In the symbolic level, it was determined that the candidates of chemistry teachers were not successful in drawing a graph, especially determining unit intervals, while they were successful in reading graphs. Findings from submicroscopic level indicate that that very few teacher candidates make correct particulate drawings for unsaturated, saturated, and supersaturated solutions. It has also been found that teacher candidates have difficulty in demonstrating molecules, ions, or particles at the submicroscopic level of solubility and the influencing factors