• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.359-371
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to investigate elementary school students' conceptions of gas and analyse the type of alternative conceptions of gas which students constructed. To appreciate the conceptions formed by elementary school students on this topic, 173 sixth grade students from an elementary school located in Suwon participated in this study. Additionally, their conceptions and their alternative conceptions of gas represented by the questionnaires were analyzed. The questionnaires consisted of 11 questions related to the conception of gas. To analyze the types of alternative conceptions which presented themselves, constructed prototypes were generated by interviewing the students themselves. From our results, we suggest that sixth grade elementary school students have various conceptions of gas and tend to think that gas is weighty, and that gaseous volume decreases by pressure. However, their conceptions of gas melting in water were very low, as only about 16% of students were aware of this scientific conception. Students who did not understand precisely the conception of the nature of oxygen, carbon dioxide and hydrogen were over 20%. The results of the interviews showed that the construction of alternative conceptions of gas was affected by various and complex causes.