"We Actually Saw Atoms with Our Own Eyes". Conceptions and Convictions in Using the Scanning Tunneling Microscope in Junior High School

Abstract

A new avenue of teaching the structure of materials is possible as a result of the development of high-resolution microscopes such as the scanning tunneling microscope (STM), which enables inspection of materials at atomic-level resolution. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the feasibility and potential contribution of using the STM as a learning tool in junior high school (JHS) to support instruction about the particulate nature of matter. Fifteen JHS science teachers and 60 students visited a materials research laboratory. After hearing a short introduction about the functions of the STM and its applications, the teachers and students performed several tasks. The results showed that although the teachers were concerned about possible difficulties in using the STM with JHS students, this activity contributed to the students' understanding of the particulate nature of matter and to their conviction of its existence. Students who demonstrated a particulate conception of matter succeeded in "seeing" atoms, although what they actually saw were bright and dark areas. Students who did not demonstrate a particulate conception of matter before the STM activity, were more convinced about the existence of atoms after the activity.