Cart
Article
A Procedural Problem in Laboratory Teaching: Experiment and Explain, or Vice-Versa?
Hi-Res PDFPurchase the full-text
- PDF/HTML,
figures/images,
references and tables,
(where available)
Abstract
This work describes two different approaches to teaching the laboratory segment of a freshman chemistry course. In Approach I, each experiment was explained and demonstrated to the students before they participated; the expected results were also discussed. In Approach II, the students conducted the experiments themselves with minimal help from the instructor. Students were surveyed regarding their perceptions relative to understanding, enjoyment, achievement, and the difficulty of conducting the experiments. While 54% of the students reported increased understanding using Approach II, only 32% reported similarly following Approach I. However, 78% of the students indicated that they felt a sense of achievement using Approach II, and 76% agreed that conducting experiments independently became routine or almost routine. The data showed that all students with high quiz grades (≥ average + 1.5 of the standard deviation of the class) preferred to do the experiments first, while only 17% of students with low grades (≤ average – 1.5 of the standard deviation of the class) preferred this approach. The results are evaluated and discussed from the viewpoint of Bloom's taxonomy, active learning strategies, and Perry's model of intellectual development.
Keywords (Audience):
High School / Introductory ChemistryKeywords (Domain):
Laboratory InstructionKeywords (Feature):
Chemical Education ResearchKeywords (Pedagogy):
Student-Centered LearningKeywords (Subject):
Learning TheoriesCiting Articles
Citation data is made available by participants in CrossRef's Cited-by Linking service. For a more comprehensive list of citations to this article, users are encouraged to perform a search in SciFinder.
This article has been cited by 1 ACS Journal articles (1 most recent appear below).
Incorporating Guided-Inquiry Learning into the Organic Chemistry Laboratory
Allen M. Schoffstall , Barbara A. GaddisJournal of Chemical Education2007 84 (5), 848Incorporating Guided-Inquiry Learning into the Organic Chemistry Laboratory
Allen M. Schoffstall , Barbara A. GaddisJournal of Chemical Education2007 84 (5), 848Informed science educators who are responsible for undergraduate laboratory programs strive to improve the effectiveness of learning in the laboratory. Guided-inquiry learning in the laboratory is one reasonable alternative (among others described here) ...
Tools
-
Add to Favorites
-
Download Citation
-
Email a Colleague -
Permalink
Order Reprints
Rights & Permissions
Citation Alerts
History
- Received: August 03, 2009
ACS
Network
Facebook
Tweet This
CiteULike
Newsvine
Digg This
Delicious
