Determination of middle school 7th grade students' misconceptions about the particulate structure of matter and the effect of conceptual change texts in removing them

The purpose of this study is to determine the prior knowledge misconceptions of 7th grade middle school students regarding the particulate structure of matter, and to examine the effect of conceptual change texts (CCTs) used to correct these misconceptions on the correction and retention of students' misconceptions. This study was conducted using the case study method, one of the qualitative research methods. The sample of the study consists of 24 students enrolled in the 7th grade at a public middle school in western Turkey during the 2024-2025 academic year. An eight-question concept test developed by the researcher and consisting of two stages was used as the data collection tool. The first stage of the test consisted of multiple-choice questions, while the second stage consisted of open-ended questions requiring students to write the reason for their answers to each question. In the first stage of the data collection process, the concept test developed by the researcher was administered to determine students' prior knowledge about the particulate nature of matter. In the second stage, the topic was explained by the researcher using the question-and- answer method, and then the concept test was administered a second time to identify any misconceptions students had about the topic. In the third stage, the topic was revisited using KDMs. The concept test was then administered a third time to examine the effect of the KDMs used on eliminating students' misconceptions about the topic. In the fourth stage, the concept test was administered a fourth time three months later to measure the effect of retention. According to the findings, misconceptions such as atoms being colored, having orbits, being indivisible, and electrons moving in orbits, which are also found in the literature, were identified. Additionally, it was observed that KDMs had positive results in eliminating misconceptions and improving the retention of concepts. According to the results of the study, incorporating KDMs into teaching programs can prevent potential misconceptions, especially in abstract subjects.