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Abstract

A deep understanding of colligative properties is essential in order to avoid misconceptions and enhance scientific reasoning skills. This descriptive study aims to analyse the scientific reasoning ability and conceptual understanding of colligative properties among high school and university students. The study involved 28 twelfth-grade high school students and 28 first-semester undergraduate students on the chemistry education programme at Universitas Negeri Malang. Scientific reasoning and conceptual understanding were measured using the Classroom Test of Scientific Reasoning (CTSR) and a Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) test, respectively. The results revealed that most high school students performed at the concrete and low formal operational stages, whereas most university students reached the upper formal stage. Consequently, university students demonstrated significantly better conceptual understanding than high school students. This study indicates that there is a positive correlation between scientific reasoning ability and conceptual understanding. Therefore, instructional strategies in chemistry at both school and university level should focus more heavily on developing scientific reasoning skills to effectively improve students' conceptual mastery.

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