Survey of eleventh grader students' scientific argumentation skill on salt hydrolysis

Abstract

Scientific argumentation is part of scientific literacy which is widely accepted as one of the main goals of science education. Consequently, scientific argumentation needs to be included in the assessment of science instruction, including the chemistry instruction. The knowledge structure of salt hydrolysis includes scientific knowledge and scientific inquiry involving scientific argumentation practice. The purpose of this research is to describe scientific argumentation skills of eleventh graders on salt hydrolysis. This research applied a survey research design. For data collection, the researchers developed their own instrument. The development was carried out in four stages: literature review, item development, expert judgment, and finalization of the instrument. The salt hydrolysis scientific argumentation skill instrument consists of 11 valid items with Cronbach's Alpha reliability of 0.745. This study involved all eleventh graders of science programs of two high schools totaling 231 students, one high school of Malang Regency and one another of Blitar City. Students' responses to the scientific argumentation test were qualitatively coded as unclassifiable, poor, sufficient, and perfect. For quantitative analysis, students' qualitative responses (unclassifiable, poor, sufficient, and perfect) were decoded into quantitative ones (0, 1, 2, and 3). To determine the level of students' responses, the scores were summed in terms of the percentage of the total score. The survey shows that the average score of respondents' skills in making claims is 88.89% (the excellent category), providing evidence is 31.43% (the low grade), and formulating explanation is 23.95% (the low category). These results indicate that students are able to make claims but have not been able to provide scientific evidence and explanations needed to support the claims. The implication of this finding is the need for instructions that are more in line with the learning outcomes of students' scientific argumentation skills.