an innovative approach

for photosynthesis. Only seven percentages retained the misconception that CO2 and
H2O supplied the energy for photosynthesis.
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The misunderstanding about plant materials was overcome by the
scientific understanding about simple photosynthesis process and equation. Most of
the students used to recall the equation without the understanding, but they presently
understood the equation and then could describe the substrate as plant materials, CO2
and H2O.
In addition to interviews with the four students on the Principle 1,
S01 holding scientific concept about role of chlorophyll corrected the misconceptions
about plant food and plant materials. His misconception; “mineral, fertilizer, water
and air are plant food...” was correctly substituted by the scientific concept; “glucose
was plant food.” Also, he now understood that plants used CO2 and H2O as the
materials making the plant food. However, his conception about plant and light
energy was confused with his conceptions about energy for respiration. In stead of
sunlight, he misunderstood that glucose, the plant food, supplied the energy for
photosynthesis.
The student, S02, who disliked biology and was holding only
scientific concept about plant and light energy could complete the understanding
about role of chlorophyll. S02 now understood that green substance was chlorophyll
absorbing light energy. However, he could not obviously correct the misconceptions
about plant food and plant materials. He mixed the experience in classroom with the
experience outside classroom. He thought that C6H12O6 was plant food, and H20 used
to water plants was also plant food. Light and CO2 were plant materials because
plants fixed CO2 and also absorbed sunlight. “It’s called ‘photo’ synthesis, so [plants]
also need light as well…”
S03 could correct the misconceptions about plant food and plant
materials. Her misconception; “mineral, fertilizer, water carbon dioxide, light and
chlorophyll are plant food…” was correctly substituted by the scientific concept;