This page reports the findings from administrations of a diagnostic instrument used to survey the extent of alternative conceptions ('misconceptions') that had been identified in interviews – in particular, aspects of an alternative conceptual framework for understanding ionic solids. The instrument was informed by learner comments in interviews with students (Taber, 1994). The instrument presents statements and asks respondents to judge them as 'true' or 'false'.
Read about the molecular framework for ionic bonding
The original version of the instrument has 30 items. This work was reported in: Taber, K. S. (1997) Student understanding of ionic bonding: molecular versus electrostatic thinking?, School Science Review, 78 (285), pp.85-95. [Download a copy of the author's manuscript version of the paper]
The instrument was adopted as part of the Challenging Misconceptions in the Classroom project (supported by the Royal Society of Chemistry, RSC). A shorter 20 item version was published in the project materials designed to support classroom diagnostic assessment. This version is introduced on a web-page on this site, and is available to download from the RSC's website. The original instrument offered learners a do-not-know option, but the published version included alternative response sheets depending whether the teacher wants to allow students to indicate they do not know the answer rather than guess.
This shorter, 20-item version of the instrument was later translated to be administered to undergraduate students in Greece and Turkey.* (The Greek undergraduates were given a 'forced choice' between 'true' and 'false', without the 'I do not know' option.)
That work was reported in Taber, K. S., Tsaparlis, G., & Nakiboğlu, C. (2012). Student Conceptions of Ionic Bonding: Patterns of thinking across three European contexts. International Journal of Science Education,34 (18), 2843-2873. doi: 10.1080/09500693.2012.656150.
Populations sampled
This page summarises the findings from the administrations of the instrument. It is important to note that the samples were all convenient samples (based on teachers happy to administer ther instrument) and cannot be assumed to be strictly representative of wider populations of directly comparable with each other.
The original samples were comprised of English learners at three stages:
- KS4 students who had studied bonding at that level ('G.C.S.E.')
- Students taking 'A level' chemistry (who would have been successful in school science examinations at the end of secondary school), but who had not yet undertaken further study of the topic.
- Students taking 'A level' chemistry (who would have been successful in school science examinations at the end of secondary school), and who had also studied bonding at Advanced level.
Two further populations were later sampled, of students setting out on university courses
- in Greece (in Chemistry or Biological Applications and Technologies (moderate to higher achievement) and
- in Turkey (in Chemistry; Chemistry Education; Mathematics Education; Elementary Mathematics Education or Computer-Education and Instructional Technology).
The Greek data were collected by Prof. Georgios Tsaparlis.
The Turkish data were collected by Prof. Canaan Nakiboğlu.
* Different languages do not just use different words, but have different ways of dividing up the world, and translated terms may have different nuances and emphasis – so a translation is never entirely equivalent to the original text.
Read about challenges of translating materials in research
The items were designed to reflect either the curriculum account of ionic bonding, or the alternative 'molecular framework', an alternative conceptual framework.
Results
The tables show the unambiguous responses from respondents in the samples. (There were sometimes a small number of unclear or blank responses – these were excluded from the analysis).
The diagram represents a substance with ionic bonding
Item 1 in the original version. {Not included in the short version.}
| Sample | True | Do not know | False | Respondents |
| English – studied to secondary level | 146 (93%) | 5 (3%) | 6 (4%) | 157 |
| English – at college entrance | 81 (98%) | 2 (0%) | 0 (2%) | 83 |
| English – studied to Advanced level | 128 (99%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (1%) | 129 |
This item was used as a kind of 'filter' so data for the subsequent items were analysed for students who recognised the representation as showing an ionic substance.
Each chloride ion in the diagram is bonded to only one sodium ion
Item 2 in the original (30-item) version. {Not included in the shorter (20-item) version}
| Sample | True | Do not know | False | Respondents |
| English – studied to secondary level | 30 (21%) | 1 (1%) | 114 (79%) | 145 |
| English – at college entrance | 30 (37%) | 0 (0%) | 51 (63%) | 81 |
| English – studied to Advanced level | 18 (14%) | 1 (1%) | 108 (85%) | 127 |
This item is false from the scientific/curriculum perspective as it is the interaction between an ion and those contributions around it which is the basis of ionic bonding.
Yet, significant numbers of students consider the statement, which reflects the molecular framework for ionic bonding (an alternative conceptual framework), as true.
A sodium ion is only bonded to the chloride ion it donated its electron to
Item 3 in the original (30-item) version. Item 2 in the shorter (20-item) version.
| Sample | True | Do not know | False | Respondents |
| English – studied to secondary level | 50 (35%) | 17 (12%) | 77 (53%) | 144 |
| English – at college entrance | 33 (41%) | 7 (9%) | 41 (51%) | 81 |
| English – studied to Advanced level | 24 (19%) | 7 (6%) | 96 (76%) | 127 |
| Greek – at university entrance | 116 (70%) | – | 49 (30%) | 165 |
| Turkish – at university entrance | 180 (63%) | 7 (2%) | 99 (35%) | 285 |
This statement is false from the scientific/curriculum perspective as ionic bonding will take place between oppositely charged ions regardless of how they became to be charged.
Yet, significant numbers of students (indeed majorities in the Greek and Turkish samples) consider the statement, which reflects the molecular framework for ionic bonding (an alternative conceptual framework), and specifically the history conjecture, as true.
A sodium atom can only form one ionic bond, because it only has one electron in its outer shell to donate
Item 4 in the original (30-item) version. Item 3 in the shorter (20-item) version.
| Sample | True | Do not know | False | Respondents |
| English – studied to secondary level | 78 (56%) | 19 (14%) | 42 (30%) | 139 |
| English – at college entrance | 46 (57%) | 4 (5%) | 31 (38%) | 81 |
| English – studied to Advanced level | 76 (60%) | 8 (6%) | 42 (33%) | 126 |
| Greek – at university entrance | 124 (75%) | – | 41 (25%) | 165 |
| Turkish- at university entrance | 215 (76%) | 12 (4%) | 57 (20%) | 284 |
This statement is false from the scientific/curriculum perspective as ionic bonding will take place between neighbouring oppositely charged ions .
Yet, significant numbers of students (indeed majorities in the Greek and Turkish samples) consider the statement, which reflects the molecular framework for ionic bonding (an alternative conceptual framework), and specifically the valency conjecture, as true.
The reason a bond is formed between chloride ions and sodium ions is because an electron has been transferred between them
Item 5 in the original (30-item) version. Item 4 in the shorter (20-item) version.
| Sample | True | Do not know | False | Respondents |
| English – studied to secondary level | 114 (79%) | 6 (4%) | 24 (17%) | 144 |
| English – at college entrance | 63 (79%) | 0 (0%) | 17 (21%) | 81 |
| English – studied to Advanced level | 88 (69%) | 3 (2%) | 37 (29%) | 128 |
| Greek – at university entrance | 94 (57%) | – | 72 (43%) | 166 |
| Turkish – at university entrance | 226 (79%) | 19 (7%) | 40 (14%) | 285 |
This statement is false from the scientific/curriculum perspective as ionic bonding is formed due to the electrical interactions between charges. It makes absolutely no difference whether the ions concerned have previously been involved in an electron transfer event (and it will very seldom be the case that this is is how adjacent ions in a lattice did form).
Yet, most students in the samples considered the statement, which reflects the molecular framework for ionic bonding (an alternative conceptual framework), and specifically the history conjecture, as true.
In the diagram a chloride ion is attracted to one sodium ion by a bond and is attracted to other sodium ions just by forces
Item 6 in the original (30-item) version. Item 5 in the shorter (20-item) version.
| Sample | True | Do not know | False | Respondents |
| English – studied to secondary level | 56 (39%) | 18 (13%) | 69 (48%) | 143 |
| English – at college entrance | 33 (41%) | 8 (10%) | 39 (49%) | 80 |
| English – studied to Advanced level | 45 (35%) | 17 (13%) | 65 (51%) | 127 |
| Greek – at university entrance | 96 (58%) | – | 70 (42%) | 166 |
| Turkish – at university entrance | 133 (47%) | 53 (19%) | 96 (34%) | 282 |
This statement is false from the scientific/curriculum perspective as the interactions between one ion and the counterions it is in close coordination with is equivalent. The ionic bonding is due to forces – the magnitude of the forces depend on how close the neighbouring ions are, so in the highly symmetrical NaCl lattice each ion is equally attracted to 6 others.
Yet, significant numbers of students (the larger proportions in some of the samples) consider the statement, which reflects the molecular framework for ionic bonding (an alternative conceptual framework), and specifically the 'just forces' conjecture, as true.
In the diagram each molecule of sodium chloride contains one sodium ion and one chloride ion
Item 7 in the original (30-item) version. Item 6 in the shorter (20-item) version.
| Sample | True | Do not know | False | Respondents |
| English – studied to secondary level | 83 (57%) | 11 (8%) | 51 (35%) | 145 |
| English – at college entrance | 43 (53%) | 4 (5%) | 34 (42%) | 81 |
| English – studied to Advanced level | 65 (52%) | 10 (8%) | 51 (40%) | 126 |
| Greek – at university entrance | 109 (67%) | – | 54 (33%) | 163 |
| Turkish – at university entrance | 216 (76%) | 11 (4%) | 56 (20%) | 283 |
This statement is false from the scientific/curriculum perspective as ionic bonding does not involve molecules. There are no molecules in the NaCl lattice.
Yet, most students in the samples considered the statement, which reflects the molecular framework for ionic bonding (an alternative conceptual framework), as true. Most learners consider there to be molecules, or ion pairs that are like molecules, in the lattice (despite the high symmetry in the figure).
An ionic bond is the attraction between a positive and a negative ion
Item 8 in the original (30-item) version. Item 7 in the shorter (20-item) version.
| Sample | True | Do not know | False | Respondents |
| English – studied to secondary level | 105 (73%) | 6 (4%) | 32 (22%) | 143 |
| English – at college entrance | 67 (83%) | 0 (0%) | 14 (17%) | 81 |
| English – studied to Advanced level | 114 (90%) | 3 (2%) | 10 (8%) | 128 |
| Greek – at university entrance | 82 (49%) | – | 84 (51%) | 166 |
| Turkish – at university entrance | 216 (76%) | 11 (4%) | 56 (20%) | 283 |
This statement is true from the scientific/curriculum perspective.
Yet, significant numbers of students (indeed a majority in the Greek sample) consider the statement false, considering that something other than electrical attraction as the basis of the bond.
A positive ion will be bonded to any neighbouring negative ions
Item 9 in the original (30-item) version. Item 8 in the shorter (20-item) version.
| Sample | True | Do not know | False | Respondents |
| English – studied to secondary level | 74 (51%) | 11 (8%) | 59 (41%) | 144 |
| English – at college entrance | 50 (62%) | 5 (6%) | 26 (32%) | 81 |
| English – studied to Advanced level | 81 (64%) | 12 (9%) | 34 (27%) | 128 |
| Greek – at university entrance | 73 (44%) | – | 92 (56%) | 165 |
| Turkish – at university entrance | 164 (59%) | 23 (8%) | 91 (33%) | 278 |
This statement is true from the scientific/curriculum perspectives.
Yet, significant numbers of students (indeed a majority in the Greek sample) consider the statement false, considering that ions cannot bond to any neighbouring counterion.
Each sodium ion in the diagram is bonded to only one chloride ion
Item 10 in the original (30-item) version. {Not included in the shorter (20-item) version}
| Sample | True | Do not know | False | Respondents |
| English – studied to secondary level | 47 (33%) | 11 (8%) | 85 (59%) | 143 |
| English – at college entrance | 31 (39%) | 1 (1%) | 47 (59%) | 79 |
| English – studied to Advanced level | 36 (28%) | 3 (2%) | 88 (69%) | 127 |
This statement is false from the scientific/curriculum perspective as each ion is bonded to six other (four shown in the diagram which represents one plane in the lattice)
Yet, significant numbers of students consider the statement, which reflects the molecular framework for ionic bonding (an alternative conceptual framework) as true.
A negative ion will be attracted to any positive ion
Item 11 in the original (30-item) version. Item 9 in the shorter (20-item) version.
| Sample | True | Do not know | False | Respondents |
| English – studied to secondary level | 118 (83%) | 1 (1%) | 23 (16%) | 142 |
| English – at college entrance | 70 (86%) | 3 (4%) | 8 (10%) | 81 |
| English – studied to Advanced level | 107 (86%) | 5 (4%) | 12 (10%) | 124 |
| Greek – at university entrance | 99 (59%) | – | 69 (41%) | 168 |
| Turkish – at university entrance | 181 (64%) | 12 (4%) | 91 (32%) | 284 |
This statement is true from the scientific/curriculum perspective, reflecting a basic principle of electrostatics.
Yet, significant numbers of students consider the statement, which contradicts the molecular framework for ionic bonding (an alternative conceptual framework), false.
It is not possible to point to where the ionic bonds are, unless you know which chloride ions accepted electrons from which sodium ions
Item 12 in the original (30-item) version. Item 10 in the shorter (20-item) version.
| Sample | True | Do not know | False | Respondents |
| English – studied to secondary level | 72 (51%) | 22 (16%) | 47 (33%) | 141 |
| English – at college entrance | 35 (44%) | 14 (17.5%) | 31 (39%) | 80 |
| English – studied to Advanced level | 53 (42%) | 25 (20%) | 49 (39%) | 128 |
| Greek – at university entrance | 106 (64%) | – | 60 (36%) | 166 |
| Turkish – at university entrance | 147 (53%) | 40 (14%) | 92 (33%) | 279 |
This statement is false from the scientific/curriculum perspective as ionic bonding will take place between oppositely charged ions regardless of how they became to be charged.
Yet, significant numbers of students (indeed majorities in the Greek and Turkish, and secondary level English samples) consider the statement, which reflects the molecular framework for ionic bonding (an alternative conceptual framework), and specifically the history conjecture, as true.
There are exactly fifteen molecules of sodium chloride in the diagram
Item 13 in the original (30-item) version. {Not included in the shorter (20-item) version}.
| Sample | True | Do not know | False | Respondents |
| English – studied to secondary level | 111 (77%) | 5 (3%) | 28 (19%) | 144 |
| English – at college entrance | 39 (50%) | 5 (6%) | 34 (44%) | 78 |
| English – studied to Advanced level | 58 (46%) | 13 (10%) | 56 (44%) | 127 |
This statement is false from the scientific/curriculum perspective as ionic bonding does not involve molecules. There are no molecules in the NaCl lattice.
Yet, significant numbers of students (indeed majorities in the younger samples), which reflects the molecular framework for ionic bonding (an alternative conceptual framework), as true. Many learners consider there to be molecules, or ion pairs that are like molecules, in the lattice (despite the high symmetry in the figure).
In the diagram each chloride ion is bonded to more than one sodium ion
Item 14 in the original (30-item) version. {Not included in the shorter (20-item) version}.
| Sample | True | Do not know | False | Respondents |
| English – studied to secondary level | 83 (58%) | 4 (3%) | 56 (39%) | 143 |
| English – at college entrance | 48 (59%) | 2 (2%) | 31 (38%) | 81 |
| English – studied to Advanced level | 84 (66%) | 10 (8%) | 34 (27%) | 128 |
This statement is true from the scientific/curriculum perspective as each ion will interact with those around it.
Yet, large proportions of students in the samples considered the statement, which contradicts the molecular framework for ionic bonding (an alternative conceptual framework), and specifically the valency conjecture, as false.
A chloride ion is only bonded to the sodium ion it accepted an electron from
Item 15 in the original (30-item) version. Item 11 in the shorter (20-item) version.
| Sample | True | Do not know | False | Respondents |
| English – studied to secondary level | 81 (56%) | 10 (7%) | 53 (37%) | 144 |
| English – at college entrance | 38 (49%) | 4 (5%) | 36 (46%) | 78 |
| English – studied to Advanced level | 42 (33%) | 13 (10%) | 73 (57%) | 128 |
| Greek – at university entrance | 112 (67%) | – | 54 (33%) | 166 |
| Turkish – at university entrance | 163 (57%) | 15 (5%) | 107 (38%) | 285 |
This statement is false from the scientific/curriculum perspective as ionic bonding will take place between oppositely charged ions regardless of how they became to be charged.
Yet, significant numbers of students (indeed majorities in the Greek and Turkish, and secondary level English, samples) consider the statement, which reflects the molecular framework for ionic bonding (an alternative conceptual framework), and specifically the history conjecture, as true.
Each chloride ion in the diagram is attracted to only one sodium ion
Item 16 in the original (30-item) version. {Not included in the shorter (20-item) version}
| Sample | True | Do not know | False | Respondents |
| English – studied to secondary level | 30 (21%) | 11 (8%) | 100 (71%) | 141 |
| English – at college entrance | 12 (15%) | 6 (7%) | 63 (78%) | 81 |
| English – studied to Advanced level | 12 (10%) | 6 (5%) | 108 (86%) | 126 |
This statement is false from the scientific/curriculum perspective, contradicting a basic principle of electrostatics.
Yet, significant numbers of students consider the statement, which reflects the molecular framework for ionic bonding (an alternative conceptual framework), false.
A chlorine atom can only form one ionic bond, because it can only accept one more electron into its outer shell
Item 17 in the original (30-item) version. Item 12 in the shorter (20-item) version.
| Sample | True | Do not know | False | Respondents |
| English – studied to secondary level | 92 (64%) | 19 (13%) | 33 (23%) | 144 |
| English – at college entrance | 49 (60%) | 6 (7%) | 26 (32%) | 81 |
| English – studied to Advanced level | 73 (60%) | 10 (8%) | 43 (34%) | 126 |
| Greek – at university entrance | 121 (73%) | – | 45 (27%) | 166 |
| Turkish – at university entrance9 | 187 (66%) | 27 (9%) | 71 (25%) | 285 |
This statement is false from the scientific/curriculum perspective as the number of counterion an ion can engage with in bonding depends on the coordination number (how many surround it). In NaCl this is 6.
Yet, significant numbers of students (indeed majorities in all the samples) consider the statement, which reflects the molecular framework for ionic bonding (an alternative conceptual framework), and specifically the valency conjecture, as true.
There is a bond between the ions in each molecule, but no bonds between the molecules
Item 18 in the original (30-item) version. Item 13 in the shorter (20-item) version.
| Sample | True | Do not know | False | Respondents |
| English – studied to secondary level | 68 (47%) | 18 (12%) | 59 (41%) | 145 |
| English – at college entrance | 29 (36%) | 12 (15%) | 39 (49%) | 80 |
| English – studied to Advanced level | 28 (22%) | 18 (14%) | 79 (63%) | 125 |
| Greek – at university entrance | 46 (28%) | – | 119 (%) | 165 |
| Turkish – at university entrance | 89 (32%) | 17 (6%) | 173 (62%) | 279 |
This statement is false from the scientific/curriculum perspective as ionic bonding does not involve molecules. There are no molecules in the NaCl lattice.
Yet, many students in the samples considered the statement, which reflects the molecular framework for ionic bonding (an alternative conceptual framework), as true.
A negative ion can only be attracted to one positive ion
Item 19 in the original (30-item) version. Item 14 in the shorter (20-item) version.
| Sample | True | Do not know | False | Respondents |
| English – studied to secondary level | 54 (37%) | 11 (8%) | 80 (55%) | 145 |
| English – at college entrance | 30 (37%) | 3 (4%) | 48 (59%) | 81 |
| English – studied to Advanced level | 26 (21%) | 0 (0%) | 99 (79%) | 125 |
| Greek – at university entrance | 105 (65%) | – | 56 (35%) | 161 |
| Turkish – at university entrance | 118 (41%) | 13 (5%) | 155 (54%) | 286 |
This statement is false from the scientific/curriculum perspective, contradicting a basic principle of electrostatics.
Yet, significant numbers of students (including a majority of the Greek sample) consider the statement, which reflects the molecular framework for ionic bonding (an alternative conceptual framework), as true.
The reason a bond is formed between chloride ions and sodium ions is because they have opposite charges
Item 20 in the original (30-item) version. Item 15 in the shorter (20-item) version.
| Sample | True | Do not know | False | Respondents |
| English – studied to secondary level | 116 (81%) | 2 (1%) | 26 (18%) | 144 |
| English – at college entrance | 75 (93%) | 1 (1%) | 5 (6%) | 81 |
| English – studied to Advanced level | 106 (84%) | 3 (2%) | 17 (13%) | 126 |
| Greek – at university entrance | 105 (65%) | – | 56 (35%) | 161 |
| Turkish – at university entrance | 213 (75%) | 10 (4%) | 62 (22%) | 285 |
This statement is true from the scientific/curriculum perspective, reflecting bonding as due to interaction between ions. Yet, significant numbers of students in some of the samples consider the statement false.
In the diagram each sodium ion is bonded to more than one chloride ion
Item 21 in the original (30-item) version. {Not included in the shorter (20-item) version}
| Sample | True | Do not know | False | Respondents |
| English – studied to secondary level | 79 (54%) | 7 (5%) | 59 (41%) | 451 |
| English – at college entrance | 41 (51%) | 3 (4%) | 37 (46%) | 81 |
| English – studied to Advanced level | 82 (65%) | 9 (7%) | 35 (28%) | 126 |
This statement is true from the scientific/curriculum perspective, reflecting bonding as due to interaction between ions.
Yet, significant numbers of students consider the statement false, as it would be form s the molecular framework for ionic bonding (an alternative conceptual framework).
In the diagram a sodium ion is attracted to one chloride ion by a bond and is attracted to the other chloride ions just by forces
Item 22 in the original (30-item) version. Item 16 in the shorter (20-item) version. The wording in the shorter version was "In the diagram, a sodium ion is attracted to one chloride ion by a bond and is attracted to other chloride ions just by forces".
| Sample | True | Do not know | False | Respondents |
| English – studied to secondary level | 75 (52%) | 19 (13%) | 49 (34%) | 143 |
| English – at college entrance | 43 (53%) | 11 (14%) | 27 (33%) | 81 |
| English – studied to Advanced level | 57 (45%) | 17 (13%) | 53 (42%) | 127 |
| Greek – at university entrance | 98 (59%) | – | 68 (41%) | 166 |
| Turkish – at university entrance | 133 (48%) | 54 (20%) | 88 (32%) | 275 |
This statement is false from the scientific/curriculum perspective as the interactions between one ion and the counterions it is in close coordination with are equivalent. The ionic bonding is due to the forces between charges – the magnitude of the forces depend on how close the neighbouring ions are, so in the highly symmetrical NaCl lattice each ion is equally attracted to 6 others.
Yet, significant numbers of students (indeed majorities in some of the samples) consider the statement, which reflects the molecular framework for ionic bonding (an alternative conceptual framework), and specifically the 'just forces' conjecture, as true.
A positive ion can only be attracted to one negative ion
Item 23 in the original (30-item) version. Item 17 in the shorter (20-item) version.
| Sample | True | Do not know | False | Respondents |
| English – studied to secondary level | 42 (30%) | 7 (5%) | 93 (65%) | 142 |
| English – at college entrance | 25 (31%) | 2 (2%) | 54 (67%) | 81 |
| English – studied to Advanced level | 25 (20%) | 3 (2%) | 100 (78%) | 128 |
| Greek – at university entrance | 103 (62%) | – | 63 (38%) | 166 |
| Turkish – at university entrance | 109 (38%) | 15 (5%) | 161 (56%) | 285 |
This statement is false from the scientific/curriculum perspective, contradicting a basic principle of electrostatics.
Yet, significant numbers of students consider the statement, which reflects the molecular framework for ionic bonding (an alternative conceptual framework), true.
An ionic bond is when one atom donates an electron to another atom, so that they have full outer shells
Item 24 in the original (30-item) version. Item 18 in the shorter (20-item) version.
| Sample | True | Do not know | False | Respondents |
| English – studied to secondary level | 111 (78%) | 7 (5%) | 25 (17%) | 143 |
| English – at college entrance | 66 (83%) | 2 (3%) | 12 (15%) | 80 |
| English – studied to Advanced level | 74 (58%) | 7 (5%) | 47 (37%) | 128 |
| Greek – at university entrance | 128 (78%) | – | 37 (22%) | 165 |
| Turkish – at university entrance | 218 (77%) | 19 (7%) | 45 (16%) | 282 |
This statement is false from the scientific/curriculum perspective as ionic bonding will take place between oppositely charged ions regardless of how they became to be charged. For example, in NaCl formed by neutralisation and evaporation of the solvent (a common school lab. practical) there will be ionic bonding in the salt produced, despite all of the ions already being present in the reactant solutions (i.e., none of the chloride ions obtained an electron by donation from sodium atoms that became cations in the lattice).
Yet, significant numbers of students (indeed majorities in each sample) consider the statement, which reflects the molecular framework for ionic bonding (an alternative conceptual framework), and specifically the history conjecture, as true.
A negative ion will be bonded to any neighbouring positive ion
Item 25 in the original (30-item) version. Item 19 in the shorter (20-item) version ("A negative ion will be bonded to any neighbouring positive ions").
| Sample | True | Do not know | False | Respondents |
| English – studied to secondary level | 67 (48%) | 10 (7%) | 62 (45%) | 139 |
| English – at college entrance | 48 (60%) | 6 (7.5%) | 26 (32.5%) | 81 |
| English – studied to Advanced level | 79 (62%) | 11 (9%) | 38 (30%) | 128 |
| Greek – at university entrance | 76 (47%) | – | 87 (53%) | 163 |
| Turkish – at university entrance | 193 (68%) | 26 (9%) | 65 (23%) | 284 |
This statement is true from the scientific/curriculum perspectives.
Yet, significant numbers of students (indeed a majority in the Greek sample) consider the statement, which reflects the molecular framework for ionic bonding (an alternative conceptual framework), and specifically the history conjecture, as false.
There are exactly fifteen ionic bonds in the diagram
Item 26 in the original (30-item) version. {Not included in the shorter (20-item) version}
| Sample | True | Do not know | False | Respondents |
| English – studied to secondary level | 77 (55%) | 16 (11%) | 48 (34%) | 141 |
| English – at college entrance | 36 (44%) | 7 (9%) | 38 (47%) | 81 |
| English – studied to Advanced level | 39 (30%) | 17 (13%) | 72 (56%) | 128 |
This statement is false from the scientific/curriculum perspective as ionic bonding does not involve molecules. There are no molecules in the NaCl lattice.
Yet, many students in the samples (indeed, a majority of the secondary age sample) considered the statement, which reflects the molecular framework for ionic bonding (an alternative conceptual framework), as true. Many learners consider there to be molecules, or ion pairs that are like molecules, in the lattice (despite the high symmetry in the figure).
There is no bonding in the diagram
Item 27 in the original (30-item) version. {Not included in the shorter (20-item) version}
| Sample | True | Do not know | False | Respondents |
| English – studied to secondary level | 11 (8%) | 4 (3%) | 124 (89%) | 139 |
| English – at college entrance | 5 (6%) | 2 (3%) | 72 (88%) | 79 |
| English – studied to Advanced level | 10 (8%) | 5 (4%) | 113 (88%) | 128 |
This statement is false from the scientific/curriculum perspective as when ions are in close proximity there will be ionic bonding maintaining a stable lattice.
Each sodium ion in the diagram is attracted to only one chloride ion
Item 28 in the original (30-item) version. {Not included in the shorter (20-item) version}
| Sample | True | Do not know | False | Respondents |
| English – studied to secondary level | 32 (23%) | 12 (9%) | 95 (68%) | 139 |
| English – at college entrance | 18 (22.5%) | 3 (4%) | 59 (74%) | 80 |
| English – studied to Advanced level | 19 (15%) | 7 (6%) | 101 (80%) | 127 |
This item is false from the scientific/curriculum perspective as it contrary to basic electrostatic principles.
Yet, significant numbers of students consider the statement, which reflects the molecular framework for ionic bonding (an alternative conceptual framework), as true.
There are no molecules in the diagram
Item 29 in the original (30-item) version. Item 20 in the shorter (20-item) version.
| Sample | True | Do not know | False | Respondents |
| English – studied to secondary level | 38 (27%) | 11 (8%) | 91 (65%) | 140 |
| English – at college entrance | 27 (33%) | 6 (7%) | 48 (59%) | 81 |
| English – studied to Advanced level | 47 (37%) | 19 (15%) | 62 (48%) | 128 |
| Greek – at university entrance | 118 (70%) | – | 50 (30%) | 168 |
| Turkish – at university entrance | 67 (24%) | 42 (15%) | 171 (61%) | 280 |
This statement is true from the scientific/curriculum perspective as ionic bonding does not involve molecules. There are no molecules in the NaCl lattice.
Yet, significant numbers of students (indeed a majority in three of the samples) consider the statement, which reflects the molecular framework for ionic bonding (an alternative conceptual framework), as false.
A positive ion will be attracted to any negative ion
Item 30 in the original (30-item) version. {Not included in the shorter (20-item) version}
| Sample | True | Do not know | False | Respondents |
| English – studied to secondary level | 109 (78%) | 8 (6%) | 23 (16%) | 140 |
| English – at college entrance | 67 (83%) | 5 (6%) | 9 (11%) | 81 |
| English – studied to Advanced level | 115 (90%) | 3 (2%) | 10 (8%) | 128 |
This statement is true from the scientific/curriculum perspective, reflecting a basic principle of electrostatics.
Yet, significant numbers of students consider the statement, which contradicts the molecular framework for ionic bonding (an alternative conceptual framework), false.
Sources:
- Taber, K. S. (1997) Student understanding of ionic bonding: molecular versus electrostatic thinking?, School Science Review, 78 (285), pp.85-95. [Download a copy of the author's manuscript versions of the paper]
- Taber, K. S., Tsaparlis, G., & Nakiboğlu, C. (2012). Student Conceptions of Ionic Bonding: Patterns of thinking across three European contexts. International Journal of Science Education,34 (18), 2843-2873. doi: 10.1080/09500693.2012.656150.
