Analyzing Multiple Representations of Corrosion Content in General Chemistry Textbooks: A Content Analysis Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15575/jtk.v10i2.45096Keywords:
chemical representations, chemistry textbooks corrosion, multiple representationsAbstract
Chemical representations and the connections among macroscopic, sub-microscopic, and symbolic levels are fundamental to meaningful chemistry learning. However, the quality and coherence of these representations in instructional materials often determine how effectively students construct conceptual understanding. This study aimed to investigate the types and interconnections of chemical representations related to corrosion presented in widely used general chemistry textbooks. A qualitative content analysis was conducted on five textbooks using an adapted framework from Gkitzia, which included the type of representation (C1), interpretation of surface features (C2), relatedness to the text (C3), caption quality (C4), and degree of correlation across multiple representations (C5). A total of 40 corrosion-related representations were identified. The analysis showed that symbolic representations were the most frequently used, although textbooks generally portrayed corrosion through macroscopic, real-world examples. Eight sets of multiple representations were found to demonstrate adequate coherence among macroscopic, sub-microscopic, and symbolic levels, effectively illustrating both the corrosion process and its prevention. Overall, the five textbooks presented the concept of corrosion with reasonable alignment across representational forms. These findings contribute to the improvement of chemistry education by informing educators and textbook authors about the strengths and limitations of current representational practices. The results also offer empirical support for implementing multiple-representation-based instruction to enhance students’ conceptual understanding and ability to visualize and interpret corrosion phenomena.
References
Akcay, H., Kapici, H. O., & Akcay, B. (2020). Analysis of the representations in turkish middle school science textbooks from 2002 to 2017. Participatory Educational Research, 7(12), 192–216. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.17275/per.20.42.7.3
Asih, F. E., Ibnu, S., Suyono, S., & Suhadi, S. (2020). Students’ misconceptions on understanding corrosion topic by and without analogy. Atlantis Highlights in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 1(2019), 130–134. https://doi.org/10.2991/snk-19.2019.31
Baptista, M., Martins, I., Conceição, T., & Reis, P. (2019). Multiple representations in the development of students’ cognitive structures about the saponification reaction. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 20(4), 760–771. https://doi.org/10.1039/c9rp00018f
Barke, H.-D., Hazari, A., & Yitbarek, S. (2009). Misconception in chemistry (1st ed.). Springer Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-70989-3
Brown, T. L., LeMay, J. H. E., Bursten, B. E., Murphy, C. J., Woodward, P. M., & Stoltzfus, M. W. (2017). Chemistry the central sciencen 14th edition. Pearson.
Chang, R. (2010). Chemistry 10th edition. McGraw-Hill. https://doi.org/10.1016/0149-1970(80)90015-3
Chen, X., de Goes, L. F., Treagust, D. F., & Eilks, I. (2019). An analysis of the visual representation of redox reactions in secondary chemistry textbooks from different chinese communities. Education Sciences, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9010042
Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2018). The SAGE handbook of qualitative research. In SAGE Publication, Inc. (Fifth Edit). SAGE Publication, Inc. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-017-1319-x
Fraenkel, J. R., Wallen, N. E., & Hyun, H. H. (2022). How to design and evaluate research in education (11th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Freire, M., Talanquer, V., & Amaral, E. (2019). Conceptual profile of chemistry: a framework for enriching thinking and action in chemistry education. International Journal of Science Education, 41(5), 674–692. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2019.1578001
Gkitzia, V., Salta, K., & Tzougraki, C. (2011). Development and application of suitable criteria for the evaluation of chemical representations in school textbooks. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 12(1), 5–14. https://doi.org/10.1039/c1rp90003j
Hasanah, D., . W., Mulyani, S., & Widhiyanti, T. (2024). Multiple representations analysis of chemical bonding concepts in general chemistry books. KnE Social Sciences, 2024, 248–257. https://doi.org/10.18502/kss.v9i8.15554
Johnstone, A. (1991). Why is chemistry difficult to learn? things are seldom what they seem. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 7(1), 75–83. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2729.1991.tb00230.x
Krippendorff, K. (2013). Content analysis: an introduction to its. In SAGE Publication, Inc. (3rd ed). SAGE Publication, Inc.
Lim, W. M. (2025). What is qualitative research? an overview and guidelines. Australasian Marketing Journal, 33(2), 199–229. https://doi.org/10.1177/14413582241264619
Murniningsih, Muna, K., & Irawati, R. K. (2020). Analysis of misconceptions by four tier tests in electrochemistry, case study on students of the chemistry education study program UIN Antasari Banjarmasin. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1440(1). https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1440/1/012008
Nakiboglu, C., Rahayu, S., Nakiboglu, N., & Treagust, D. F. (2023). Exploring senior high-school students’ understanding of electrochemical concepts: patterns of thinking across Turkish and Indonesian contexts. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 25(1), 42–61. https://doi.org/10.1039/d3rp00124e
Nisa, N. A., & Fitriza, Z. (2021). Identifikasi mikonsepsi siswa menengah atas (SMA) pada pembelajaran kimia materi redoks dan elektrokimia : studi literatur. Edukatif : Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan, 3(4), 1191–1198. https://doi.org/10.31004/edukatif.v3i4.516
Petrucci, R. H., Hering, F. G., Madura, J. D., & Bissonnette, C. (2010). General chemistry: principles and modern application (10th Editi). Pearson Canada Inc. http://repo.iain-tulungagung.ac.id/5510/5/BAB 2.pdf
Rahayu, S., Treagust, D. F., & Chandrasegaran, A. L. (2022). High school and preservice chemistry teacher education students’ understanding of voltaic and electrolytic cell concepts: evidence of consistent learning difficulties across years. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 20(8), 1859–1882. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-021-10226-6
Rusek, M., & Vojir, K. (2019). Analysis of text difficulty in lower-secondary chemistry textbooks. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 20(1), 85–94. https://doi.org/10.1039/c8rp00141c
Sanders, R. W., Crettol, G. L., Brown, J. D., Plummer, P. T., Schendorf, T. M., Oliphant, A., Swithenbank, S. B., Ferrante, R. F., & Gray, J. P. (2018). Teaching electrochemistry in the general chemistry laboratory through corrosion exercises. Journal of Chemical Education, 95(5), 842–846. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.7b00416
Schwedler, S., & Kaldewey, M. (2020). Linking the submicroscopic and symbolic level in physical chemistry: How voluntary simulation-based learning activities foster first-year university students’ conceptual understanding. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 21(4), 1132–1147. https://doi.org/10.1039/c9rp00211a
Silberberg, M. S. (2007). Principles of general chemistry. McGraw-Hill.
Stahl, B. N. A., & King, J. R. (2020). Understanding and using trustworthiness in qualitative research. journal of developmental education, 44(1), 26–28. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1320570.pdf
Stieff, M. (2019). Improving learning outcomes in secondary chemistry with visualization-supported inquiry activities. Journal of Chemical Education, 96(7), 1300–1307. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00205
Upahi, J. E., & Ramnarain, U. (2019). Representations of chemical phenomena in secondary school chemistry textbooks. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 20(1), 146–159. https://doi.org/10.1039/c8rp00191j
Wiji, W., Widhiyanti, T., Delisma, D., & Mulyani, S. (2021). The intertextuality study of the conception, threshold concept, and troublesome knowledge on redox reaction. Journal of Engineering Science and Technology, 16(2), 1356–1369. https://jestec.taylors.edu.my/Vol 16 issue 2 April 2021/16_2_33.pdf
Zumdahl, S. S., & DeCoste, D. J. (2019). Introductory Chemistry – A Foundation, ninth edition. Cengage Learning
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Citation Check
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Ghea Ovilia, Wiji Wiji, Sri Mulyani, Tuszie Widhiyanti
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
