Junior High School Pupils' Understanding of the Particulate Nature of Matter: An Interview Study.

The article discusses a study on the nature of conceptions of junior high school pupils in Israel on some aspects of the particle model of matter. Researchers investigated how the pupils assimilated the particle model in their program titled "The Structure of Matter" which is centered into the three states of matter. The researchers used the Piaget-type interview since they felt that the paper-and-pencil test was not enough for its aim. The three aspects least absorbed by pupils in the results indicated the need for a larger expressed support of these aspects in pupils' ongoing learning activities. The researchers recommended that the results of the study can be useful in the development of teacher training exercises on pupil's thinking.