Juhye Park  Seoung-Hey Paik

Vol. 69,  No. 5, pp. 252-262, Oct.  2025
10.5012/jkcs.2025.69.5.252

Metallic bonding Electron sea model Ignorance of models In-service chemistry teachers High School Students

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This study aimed to analyze the knowledge and ignorance of the electron sea model, a representative model used to explain the properties of metallic bonding, and to investigate and compare the perception levels of in-service chemistry teachers and high school students regarding this model. An analysis of the electron sea model presented in high school Chemistry I textbooks revealed that while the particle nature of electrons is reflected, the model's ignorance, such as the wave nature of electrons and the omission of electrostatic interactions between charges, is not explicitly explained. Based on this analysis, in-service chemistry teachers and high school students were asked to express models to explain the properties of metallic bonding, and their models and explanations were analyzed. The analysis criteria were categorized into five levels based on whether participants recognized the model's knowledge (particle nature and wave nature) and ignorance (electrostatic interactions between charges). The research results showed that in-service chemistry teachers demonstrated varying levels of recognition. Among the 8 teachers, 6 corresponded to level 2, recognizing only the particle nature of electrons, 1 teacher corresponded to level 3, recognizing both particle and wave nature, and 1 teacher corresponded to level 5, recognizing both the model's knowledge and ignorance and even proposing alternative models. For high school students, 7 out of 8 students corresponded to level 2, and 1 student corresponded to level 3. Most students did not recognize the wave nature of electrons and ignorance, and expressed models that mixed ionic bonding, covalent bonding, and Bohr's atomic model. These results suggest that both teachers and students lack complete understanding of the electron sea model. It is particularly noteworthy that even most teachers remain at a particle-centered understanding. This may be related to the insufficient treatment of the model's wave nature and ignorance in curricula and textbooks. Therefore, future research requires systematic exploration of how to effectively incorporate the ignorance of metallic bonding models, including the wave nature of electrons, into curricula and teacher education.