High School Chemistry Students Research Articles

Los laboratorios virtuales y su inclusión en una institución educativa rural

This essay aims at discussing how virtual laboratories impact educational inclusion for high school and middle school chemistry students in a rural educational institution. It objectively examines virtual laboratories and educational inclusion, highlighting the benefits and drawbacks of these digital resources and the various perspectives on their relationship. Virtual laboratories, as pedagogical tools, are increasingly used in education, enabling students to conduct experiments in a safe, controlled environment without needing complex infrastructure, costly equipment, or hazardous materials. The essay also supports the idea that virtual laboratories are a cost-effective alternative, as infrastructure investment, reagents or similar costs, are they significantly reduced or zero. This leads to more efficient financial management in educational institutions, allowing for the reinvestment of resources into computer equipment that improves coverage and accessibility for students. As a result, virtual laboratories help bridge the gap in inclusion and access to information, enabling students to access educational experiences and resources from anywhere in the world.

That Thing in Your Pocket: Cultivating a Geo-Sustainable Mindset in High School Chemistry Students Using GIS to Study Smartphone Components

Smartphones are ubiquitous in high schools across the US, but students rarely learn about the complex world of elements and materials beneath their shiny exteriors. Educators can bridge the gap between the abstract concept of smartphone elements and the real-world geography of their origin and impact by integrating ArcGIS geospatial software into their curriculum. A team of researchers has been working with high school teachers to infuse geospatial concepts and technologies into their teaching. One project involved a teacher using GIS to revisit his approach to teaching the periodic table: he would have his students investigate the global origins of smartphone components. This approach equipped students with essential knowledge about the materials that power their daily lives and nurtured critical thinking skills and an awareness of the environmental and ethical dimensions of technology consumption. This paper includes a description of the project and how geospatial technology was utilized, as well as a discussion on the implications and future research in this area.

Effects of the Implementation of an Interactive Students' Notebook (ISN) on Students' Conceptual Understanding of Atomic Structure and Motivation Towards Science

This study investigated the impact of an interactive student's notebook on Grade 8 Junior high school chemistry students' conceptual understanding of atomic structure and motivation toward science. Using a mixed-method sequential explanatory approach, a quasi-experimental non-equivalent groups design was employed, with pretest and posttest assessments, interviews, and questionnaires. The experimental group (using interactive notebooks) showed significantly higher conceptual understanding gains compared to the control group. The interactive notebook intervention also positively affected students' motivation, particularly intrinsic and career motivation. The study provides compelling evidence that incorporating Interactive Student Notebooks positively influences students' conceptual understanding of atomic structure and their motivation toward science. The use of ISNs facilitates higher levels of conceptual understanding, as reflected in the increased percentage of students achieving Level 4 proficiency in interpreting atomic theory and accurately representing atomic models. Moreover, ISNs contribute to higher levels of motivation, particularly in terms of career motivation and intrinsic motivation.

Nature of senior high school chemistry students’ alternative conceptions in organic qualitative analysis

Chemical analysis is one of the important areas in learning chemistry as it inculcates in students the spirit of deductive reasoning enabling them to apply theoretical knowledge acquired in practical problems. Organic qualitative analysis (OQA) offers students the opportunity for identification of unknown organic chemicals in substances including toxic substances. Students’ alternative conceptions in OQA have been reported in the literature with the nature of the alternative conceptions yet to be investigated. Thus, this study investigated the nature of students’ alternative conceptions in OQA using a four-tier diagnostic test instrument. With the use of a cross-sectional survey design, 345 senior high chemistry students were randomly selected to participate in the study. The quantitative data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The findings of the study revealed the nature of students’ alternative conceptions in OQA as significant and genuine. The study, therefore, recommended to chemistry teachers and educators to help not only diagnose students’ alternative conceptions but also explore the nature of their alternative conceptions as this helps in selecting more effective instructional teaching strategies that cause conceptual changes in students to help improve their conceptualization of abstract chemistry concepts.

Investigation the Association Between the Moroccan High School Chemistry Program and Students’ Reasoning

In this study, we discuss the achievements of learners and their abilities to mobilize these achievements in solving complex and everyday life situations. For this purpose, we analyzed the institutional guidelines for the teaching of chemistry, in particular redox transformations and some related concepts. Then, we developed a test targeting two categories of items: the first category covers epistemic aspects while the second goes over the mobilization of redox knowledge in everyday life. This test was administered to a sample of high school students. The results of this empirical research indicate that these learners only master some fragmented knowledge and therefore they cannot mobilize it in an integrated way in everyday situations. The analysis shows that the majority of the difficulties identified can be interpreted by a poor appropriation of chemical concepts related to the microscopic structure of the substance. The difficulties encountered could stem from the structure of the program recommended in the curriculum and the methods of assessing learning. Indeed, our content analysis reveals that the didactic transposition operated for the conceptualization of the concepts related to chemical transformations rather favors the memorization of declarative and procedural knowledge. Moreover, the construction of knowledge follows a linear and not a spiral progression. The current research explores these empirical findings and proposes implications for content progression, learning and assessment of learning.
 
 Received: 24 June 2023 / Accepted: 09 August 2023 / Published: 5 September 2023

Messages about valued knowledge products and processes embedded within a suite of transformed high school chemistry curricular materials

The way high school chemistry curricula are structured has the potential to convey consequential messages about knowledge and knowing to students and teachers. If a curriculum is built around practicing skills and recalling facts to reach “correct” answers, it is unlikely class activities will be seen (by students or the teacher) as opportunities to figure out causes for phenomena. Our team of teachers and researchers is working to understand how enactment of transformed curricular materials can support high school chemistry students in making sense of perplexing, relatable phenomena. Given this goal, we were surprised to see that co-developers who enacted our materials overwhelmingly emphasized the importance of acquiring true facts/skills when writing weekly reflections. Recognition that teachers’ expressed aims did not align with our stated goal of “supporting molecular-level sensemaking” led us to examine whether the tacit epistemological commitments reflected by our materials were, in fact, consistent with a course focused on figuring out phenomena. We described several aspects of each lesson in our two-semester curriculum including: the role of phenomena in lesson activities, the extent to which lessons were 3-dimensional, the role of student ideas in class dialogue, and who established coherence between lessons. Triangulation of these lesson features enabled us to infer messages about valued knowledge products and processes materials had the potential to send. We observed that our materials commonly encouraged students to mimic the structure of science practices for the purpose of being evaluated by the teacher. That is, students were asked to “go through the motions” of explaining, modeling etc. but had little agency regarding the sorts of models and explanations they found productive in their class community. This study serves to illustrate the importance of surfacing the tacit epistemological commitments that guide curriculum development. Additionally, it extends existing scholarship on epistemological messaging by considering curricular materials as a potentially consequential sources of messages.

The Effectiveness of POGIL on High School Student Chemistry End-of-Course Exams

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative research study was to determine if and to what extent there were differences in chemistry end-of-course (EOC) exam scores between high school chemistry students taught using POGIL pedagogy and non-POGIL pedagogy in the state of Utah. Piaget’s cognitive development theory and Johnstone’s cognitive load theory served as the theoretical foundations. A large, public school district in the state of Utah provided the de-identified, archival data for this study, which consisted of students that took a chemistry course and chemistry EOC exam in 2015-2016 or 2016-2017. The research question sought to find whether there was a statistically significant difference in chemistry EOC exam scores for high school students in both groups. A one-way ANOVA demonstrated a statistically significant difference between the POGIL and non-POGIL student groups on the dependent variable of chemistry EOC exam scores, F(1, 314) = 29.91, p < .001, partial η2 = .087, (p < .05). This study supported POGIL pedagogy as an effective instructional strategy for improving student chemistry EOC exam scores.

Vegetables for building molecular models

An exciting classroom activity involving the construction of molecular models and building hybrid orbitals is presented in this paper. Basic molecular geometries were built by connecting different types of vegetables using bamboo skewers. Vegetable of different shapes were used to describe the hybridization of atomic orbitals. This exercise is suitable for high school and undergraduate chemistry students. The activity helps students to apply Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) theory to envisage the basic shapes of molecules and to conceptualize the hybridization of the atomic orbitals

An analytical instrument for coding and assessing argumentative dialogues in science teaching contexts

AbstractMost of the tools developed in the area of Science Education aimed at analyzing either the product or the process of argumentation do not consider the following: (a) arguments are a part of dialogues, (b) dialogues present different objectives, (c) dialogues start from different assumptions, and (d) dialogues shape the roles and moves of interlocutors. This paper intends to address the analysis of argumentative exchanges within educational science dialogues considering several aspects of argumentation that have neglected to be investigated in the field of education, such as the relations among individual moves and the dialogues they are part of, and the influence of such moves on knowledge construction. Toward this purpose, a proposed tool is presented, which describes argumentative dialogues in science teaching contexts across the varied and interrelated dimensions. This tool, consisting of six analytical aspects, is applied to high school chemistry students' argumentative dialogues taking place during modeling activities. Data collection (involving audio and video recording plus observations made by the researchers) revealed the main affordances of this tool as follows: (a) favoring an understanding of the individual and collective students' intentions; (b) enabling the characterization of argumentative discourse beyond the moves of refuting, questioning and providing support; (c) enabling the identification of whether knowledge construction has occurred; and (d) the possibility of analyzing teaching situations across different contexts. Thus, the tool supports the descriptions and analyses of the scientific argumentation process and the associated knowledge construction by students.

Assessing Acquired Science Process Skills Of Senior High Schools In Central Region, Ghana

Development and acquisition of science process skills (SPS) is necessary for understanding of science and offering of solutions to scientific problems. Assessing SPS acquired by students is key to monitor its development and acquisition. The study used descriptive survey to find out the nature of SPS developed and acquired by final year senior high school chemistry students. The study used parametric achievement test instrument called Students’ development of science process skills index Test. The test was conducted for 904 students drawn from 20 out of 36 Senior High Schools in the central region of Ghana, that offer elective science courses. The schools and students were sampled from 17 out of 20 districts in the central region of Ghana via multi-stage sampling technique taking into cognizance the school grades categories in Ghana comprising Grades A, B and C. The analysis of the result shows that students acquired mainly basic SPS like Observing, Communicating, and integrated SPS like Interpreting. However, SPS like Classifying, Hypothesising, Controlling Variables and Experimenting were hardly developed/acquired. The acquisition of SPS was also found to depend significantly on the type of school attended and gender. It is recommended that more opportunity be given to practice and access SPS, particularly, the integrated SPS.

The The perceptions of Senior High School students and teachers about organic chemistry: A Ghanaian perspective

The purpose of the study was to determine the perceptions that senior high school (SHS) chemistry students and teachers have about organic chemistry as well as to compare organic chemistry topics that are difficult for students and teachers. Simple random sampling (lottery) and purposive sampling methods were used to select a sample of one hundred (100) SHS students who studied elective chemistry and ten (10) chemistry teachers. The research instruments used to collect data for this study were the ‘organic chemistry perceptions questionnaire for students’ (OCPQS) and ‘organic chemistry perceptions questionnaire for teachers’ (OCPQT). Descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) were used to analyze the data collected. The findings revealed that these SHS students have a fairly positive perception of organic chemistry while their teachers had a highly positive perception of organic chemistry. Preparation and chemical reactions of alkenes, preparation and chemical reactions of alkynes, structure and stability of benzene, reactions of benzene, comparison of reactions of benzene and alkenes, petroleum, polymers and naming of alkanes and structural isomerism were perceived by students as difficult to understand. The rest of the Ghanaian SHS organic chemistry topics (26 out of 34 topics) were perceived as easy to understand by students. Also, the teachers perceived all the SHS organic chemistry topics as easy to teach with the exception of reactions of benzene. The insights gained about teachers’ and students’ perceived difficult organic chemistry topics in this study imply that teachers’ perceptions and how these are communicated to students can have significant effects on learning. The authors believe that both teachers and learners could benefit from this increased awareness of perceptions about difficulties in teaching and learning organic chemistry. They therefore suggest that further studies into how teachers’ perceptions influence their teaching and consequently their students’ experiences be carried out. In addition, in future research, a diagnostic test based on the topics in the SHS organic chemistry syllabus could be added to ascertain whether the perceived difficult topics are actually difficult for students to answer questions on. This would help teachers to separate perceived difficulties from the actual difficulties (realities) and be able to address them in their lessons.

Photobromination (S<SUB>R</SUB>) and Corresp. S<SUB>N</SUB>1 Reactions – Key Reactions for the Development and the Application of the Concept of Hyperconjugation

This article first describes photochemical bromination reactions of two different reactants proceeding via electron septet intermediates according to the radical substitution reaction mechanism (SR). The case comparison is intended to enable learners – high school or university first-year organic chemistry students – to work out the concept of hyperconjugation, which is very significant for organic chemistry, by intertwining experimental results and theoretical interpretation (of free radical intermediates) closely. Since students often do not succeed in transferring concepts they have already learned from one mechanism to another, the second step will be to transfer and apply the concept of hyperconjugation to carbenium ions as reactive intermediates by means of an analogous experimental case comparison of first-order nucleophilic substitution reactions (SN1).

Examining the Psychometric Properties of the Chemistry Self-Concept Inventory Using Rasch Modeling

The Chemistry Self-Concept Inventory (CSCI) is a widely used instrument within chemistry education research. Yet, agreement on its overall reliability and validity is lacking, and psychometric analyses of the instrument remain outstanding. This study examined the psychometric properties of the subscale and item function of the CSCI on 1140 high school chemistry students in the midwestern United States. Using exploratory factor analysis, we found that a five-factor model, distinct from previous studies’ models, fit our data best. Using this model in Rasch analysis, we found several items within the Mathematics subscale that showed unusual item difficulty, significant misfit, and low item discrimination. Implications for future use of the CSCI are discussed.

Mengevaluasi Level Pemahaman Konsep Hidrolisis Garam Peserta Didik Menggunakan Tes Diagnostik Pilihan Ganda Empat Tingkat

The ability of students to understand and use concepts is the main key in scientifically explaining various chemical phenomena in nature. This ability develops relatively, often with the development of the learner level. This study aims to understand the level of understanding of the concept of salt hydrolysis of class XI high school students and chemistry students in the I, II, III and IV years and non-chemistry students with a total sample of 875 respondents. The instrument used in this study was a four-level multiple choice test. This diagnostic test combines the measurement of knowledge and reasoning with the level of self-confidence, as a reflection of the level of mastery of concepts. The data analysis technique used is quantitative, using SPSS 25 software, namely the non-parametric test (Kruskal Wallis test), comparing the significance value (Asmp. Sig) with a probability of 0.005. The results showed that the significance value of 0.00 was less than 0.05; That is, there is a significant difference in the level of understanding of the salt hydrolysis concept of students. The level of understanding of the concept of high school students is better than the first, second, third, and fourth year students in chemistry and non-chemistry students. These findings reinforce the story that although students have experienced learning experiences at a higher level, it does not guarantee the development of mastery of understanding the concept of hydrolysis

From feeling forces to understanding forces: The impact of bodily engagement on learning in science

AbstractEmbodied cognition theories view sensorimotor activity as fundamental to learning, knowing, and reasoning. To investigate the role of physical movement in conceptual learning, we developed and explored an Embodied Learning Interactive Chemistry environment (ELI‐Chem). The ELI‐Chem learning environment includes a computer simulation, a device for interacting with the simulation, and an online activity guide. In particular, we focused on the topic of chemical bonding—an abstract and nonintuitive phenomenon that is crucial to chemistry learning and that presents pervasive problems in learning. The ELI‐Chem learning environment embodies atoms' movement through four increasing degrees of bodily engagement in terms of range of motion and forces—movie, simulation, joystick, and haptic device (applies force feedback). A randomly assigned pretest‐intervention‐posttest four‐group comparison design was used with a mixed‐methods research approach. Quantitative analysis of pretest and posttest questionnaires tested the conceptual learning. Qualitative analysis of students' filled activity guides explored students' perceptions of the learning process and features of understanding. The participants were 48 high school chemistry students, 12 students in each degree of bodily engagement. During the activity, students were prompted to discover the forces underlying chemical bonding and to explore the energy changes involved. We found an increase in students' conceptual understanding in all four degrees of bodily engagement, with significantly higher learning gains and causal understanding in the haptic condition with a greater range of motion and forces. This study highlights the states in which embodied learning uniquely contributes to understanding and perception: absence of prior embodied experience, learning about a nonvisual concept related to forces, and a high congruence with the concept learned.

Connecting Chemistry to Mathematics by Establishing the Relationship between Conductivity and Concentration in an Interdisciplinary, Computer-Based Project for High School Chemistry Students

Here, we present an interdisciplinary educational project intended for high school chemistry that is focused on the establishment of a mathematical model to describe the relationship between conductivity and concentration, while linking chemistry to mathematics with the help of computer software. The project was designed to help high school students engage in methods and comprehend advanced topics beyond the typical high school chemistry curriculum, as well as to resolve a problem that no single disciplinary perspective is able to solve. This project provided students with a simple method to build mathematical models, which could be used to help them discover the relationship between discrete experimental data and mathematical equations. A postinstructional survey showed that, after completing the project, more students knew how to construct mathematical equations that fit discrete data.

Does Giving the Learner Control Improve Learner Success?

This research aims to determine the most suitable style of educational control over the use of multimedia by high school chemistry students in Saudi Arabia. The research aims to quantify the effect of styles of educational control over multimedia (program or learner control) on 16-17 year old students' achievements in chemistry. The sample consists of two groups of 30 students. The first group studied with the learner control style while the second studied using the program control style. The results show that the improvement in chemistry test scores in the first group was better than in the second, with a statistically significant difference between groups at the α = 0.05 level. As a result of this research we recommend, firstly, using the learner control style when designing multimedia programs because of its demonstrated positive effect on achievement; and, secondly, expanding the use of educational programs for individual learning to other areas of education. In summary, this research highlights the beneficial combination of multimedia technology and pedagogy.

Pigment Synthesis and Analysis of Color in Art: An Example of Applied Science for High School and College Chemistry Students

We present herein a module of pigment synthesis experiments that could be adapted and implemented in a variety of curricular settings. At the conclusion of each of the past two spring terms at our ...

The dimensions and functions of students’ achievement emotions in Chinese chemistry classrooms

ABSTRACTResearch points to the important role achievement emotions play in academic performance and career choices, yet few studies have examined achievement emotions in non-Western contexts. The current study extends this research base by examining students’ achievement emotions among 103 eleventh-grade high school chemistry students in China. Using exploratory factor analysis and path analysis, we examined the dimensions of achievement emotions and tested a model in which achievement emotions mediated the relationship between chemistry self-efficacy and classroom engagement. Exploratory factor analysis indicated two distinct factors: positive emotions and shame. Path analysis showed that positive emotions partially mediated the effect of chemistry self-efficacy on classroom engagement. Chemistry self-efficacy was also negatively associated with shame. Findings are discussed in light of the role of Chinese culture in influencing the dimensions and functions of achievement emotions with implications for developing engaging classroom learning environments.

Do-It-Yourself: Creating and Implementing a Periodic Table of the Elements Chemical Escape Room

This year (2019) represents the 150th year since the discovery of the periodic table of the elements (PTOE). In honor of this important event, we designed a PTOE chemical escape room (called ChEsRm) that is suitable for middle and high school chemistry students. The main idea behind this ChEsRm is that it is relatively easy and inexpensive for teachers to build in order to introduce the activity into as many chemistry classrooms as possible. The puzzles of ChEsRm include interesting facts regarding the elements, their every day use, and their properties, as well as the subatomic particles. Some involve actual experiments and other nonlaboratory activities. Participants are asked to solve a mystery: finding the cause of a mysterious death. Although most escape rooms use locks and keys, in this case the mechanism used to reveal the solution is different and more flexible. Here we provide a detailed description of all the puzzles and explain how to operate the escape room in a school lab.