Abstract
The study explored the impact of of collaborative learning on student teachers’ comprehension and attitudes towards environmental education concepts in Chemistry. The study involved 64 student teachers studying environmental chemistry at Mufulira College of Education in Zambia. The action research adopted a pre-test post-test quasi-experimental design. The students were randomly assigned to the two intervention groups. In both groups students had opportunities to learn pollution, waste management and climate change. In the experimental group they used team based learning while in the comparison group students used think-pair-share learning. Overall, learners’ attitudes towards chemistry were improved from pre-test to post-test in both the experimental group. Results from the achievement test revealed a statistically significant difference (t (df, 62) = 2.030, p = .024 at α = .05) between the mean scores of the experimental group (Mean = 69.75; SD = 13.853) and the comparison group (Mean = 60.67; SD = 14.501) after the experimental Phase. Overall, both forms of collaborative learning incorporating environmental education concepts and issues in Chemistry had a positive impact on learners’ comprehension and attitudes towards chemistry.
Highlights
Nations at the forefront of modern development are those that have invested enormous resources over considerable time in the establishment and nurturing of a stable well supported science and technology education (Akpan, 2008)
This study finds evidence that the two modes of collaboration learning impacted little on attitudes while increasing achievement when learning chemistry
This action research demonstrates that use of collaborative learning and integration of environmental education concepts and issues from students’ local community produced modest gains in attitudes
Summary
Nations at the forefront of modern development are those that have invested enormous resources over considerable time in the establishment and nurturing of a stable well supported science and technology education (Akpan, 2008). Pennock and Bardwell, 1994) posited that investigating real-world environmental issues motivates learners by making learning relevant, as well as helping students to practice and develop skills such as decision making, critical thinking, and problem solving. Ernst and Monroe (2004) and Glynn (2000) submits that through linking of academic topics to the local environmental topics, students are able to make real-world connections, allowing the material to be made more meaningful, tangible and relevant. This can result in higher motivation and increased interest. This can result in higher motivation and increased interest. Edelson (2007) contends
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