Teaching the subject of ionic and molecular compounds based on visualization and games to prevent misconceptions for the students of the first secondary level

The chemical bonding concept is abstract and disconnected from students' daily experiences. First, by studying and identifying misconceptions related to the chemical bonding concept, a teaching content was designed. An attempt was made to involve students in the classroom and the environment outside the school by conducting experiments, visualizing, teaching activities, making models, preparing wall newspapers on the topic of the use of ionic and molecular compounds, and comparing these compounds with each other, and designing games to ensure sustainable learning. The research is applied-descriptive in nature, with students being tested on the subject matter following the implementation of teaching strategies. The test questions covered various cognitive areas and consisted of multiple-choice and two-part questions. The first part required students to choose an answer option, while the second part asked them to provide a reason for their choice. This second part helped differentiate between students who had a correct understanding and those who might have misconceptions. The findings of the research revealed that the designed content improved learning outcomes in the experimental group compared to the control group, and effectively prevented misconceptions from taking root.