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Effects of using particulate model as a teaching strategy on the learning of writing chemical formulae and balancing chemical equations
Author
Lee, Chui Eng
Supervisor
Lee, Lucille Kam Wah
Abstract
This study investigates on the effect of Particle Teaching Strategy, which incorporates both the microscopic and symbolic levels of chemistry during instruction, on students' chemical knowledge, conceptual understanding and problem solving performance for the topic on writing chemical formulae and balancing chemical equations. At the same time, the relationships among the three variables, namely chemical knowledge performance, conceptual understanding performance and problem solving performance are also explored. The study also looks into how the Particle Teaching Strategy can affect students' conceptual understanding of chemical reactions and their problem solving processes qualitatively.
Seventy-four secondary three students from two intact classes in a government boys' school were involved in this study. All the students underwent ten weeks of instruction on the topic of writing chemical formulae and balancing chemical equations. One of the two classes was taught using the Particle Teaching Strategy (treatment group), while the other class was taught using the Traditional Teaching Strategy (control group). Three test instruments, namely Chemical Knowledge Test, Conceptual Understanding Test and Problem Solving Test, were designed and administered as pre-tests to the students before teaching the topic. This was followed by administering the same three test instruments as post-tests after the students were taught the topic.
The data collected from the pre-tests and post-tests scores of the three test instruments in the treatment and control groups were analysed quantitatively using ANOVA. The students' responses to the post-tests of the two test instruments, namely Conceptual Understanding Test and Problem Solving Test, were used as data for qualitative analysis.
The findings show that the Particle Teaching Strategy is effective in enhancing students' conceptual understanding and problem solving performance on the topic of writing chemical formulae and balancing chemical equations. However, the Particle Teaching Strategy has no influence on students' chemical knowledge on the topic of writing chemical formulae and balancing chemical equations. In addition, the findings have also shown that the three variables are correlated.
Further analysis was done qualitatively to explore the kinds of conceptual differences between the students who were taught using the Particle Teaching Strategy and those who were taught using the Traditional Teaching Strategy. The findings show that the students who were taught using the Particle Teaching Strategy attained a better conceptual understanding of the abstract nature of ions present in ionic compounds, the dissociation process of ionic compounds in aqueous state, and the meaning of subscripts used in the chemical formulae. In addition, it is also observed that the students who were taught using the Particle Teaching Strategy tended to solve problems by drawing the microscopic representations of the chemical reactions in relation to the symbolic chemical equations given. However, this was not observed in the control group.
Seventy-four secondary three students from two intact classes in a government boys' school were involved in this study. All the students underwent ten weeks of instruction on the topic of writing chemical formulae and balancing chemical equations. One of the two classes was taught using the Particle Teaching Strategy (treatment group), while the other class was taught using the Traditional Teaching Strategy (control group). Three test instruments, namely Chemical Knowledge Test, Conceptual Understanding Test and Problem Solving Test, were designed and administered as pre-tests to the students before teaching the topic. This was followed by administering the same three test instruments as post-tests after the students were taught the topic.
The data collected from the pre-tests and post-tests scores of the three test instruments in the treatment and control groups were analysed quantitatively using ANOVA. The students' responses to the post-tests of the two test instruments, namely Conceptual Understanding Test and Problem Solving Test, were used as data for qualitative analysis.
The findings show that the Particle Teaching Strategy is effective in enhancing students' conceptual understanding and problem solving performance on the topic of writing chemical formulae and balancing chemical equations. However, the Particle Teaching Strategy has no influence on students' chemical knowledge on the topic of writing chemical formulae and balancing chemical equations. In addition, the findings have also shown that the three variables are correlated.
Further analysis was done qualitatively to explore the kinds of conceptual differences between the students who were taught using the Particle Teaching Strategy and those who were taught using the Traditional Teaching Strategy. The findings show that the students who were taught using the Particle Teaching Strategy attained a better conceptual understanding of the abstract nature of ions present in ionic compounds, the dissociation process of ionic compounds in aqueous state, and the meaning of subscripts used in the chemical formulae. In addition, it is also observed that the students who were taught using the Particle Teaching Strategy tended to solve problems by drawing the microscopic representations of the chemical reactions in relation to the symbolic chemical equations given. However, this was not observed in the control group.
Date Issued
2003
Call Number
QD40 Lee
Date Submitted
2003