Can Lower Secondary School Students Understand Ions? : A Comparative Analysis of Textbooks from Foreign Countries

Abstract

Foreign science textbooks of lower secondary schools from the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Slovak, India, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, and the U.S.A. were analyzed in regard to the treatment of atomic structure and ions. One finding is that atomic structure and ions are introduced at the ages of 13-14 in most countries, which is in contrast to the recent deletion of the concept of ions from the course of study for lower secondary schools in Japan. It was also found that what students learn about atoms and ions varies among countries: students learn about atoms as consisting of a nucleus and electrons, as consisting of protons, neutrons, and electrons, or as having an electron arrangement. Students also learn about ions as charged atoms, particles resulting from electron transfer between atoms, or atoms having a full outer shell. Ions are typically introduced as one of the basic particles following the structure of atoms. The periodic table of elements, which was removed from lower secondary school textbooks in Japan, is also introduced at 13-14 in most countries. It is concluded that both atomic structure and ions can be understood by lower secondary school students.