Understanding Of Chemical Concepts Research Articles

Integration of Technology in Chemistry Education at University Level

Technology integration in chemistry education at the university level is increasingly recognized as a transformative approach to enhance teaching methodologies and improve student learning outcomes. This abstract provides a concise overview of the impact, challenges, and future directions of technology integration based on recent studies and empirical evidence. This study aims to explore the effectiveness of integrating technology, such as virtual laboratories, simulation software, and multimedia resources, in enhancing student engagement and learning in university-level chemistry education. A mixed-methods approach was employed, including surveys and interviews with students and faculty members from multiple universities. Quantitative data from pre- and post-assessments were analyzed to assess learning outcomes, while qualitative insights were gathered to explore perceptions, challenges, and recommendations related to technology integration. Findings indicate that technology-enhanced tools significantly enhance student understanding of chemistry concepts and improve problem-solving skills. Students and faculty members perceive technology as beneficial for creating interactive and dynamic learning environments. However, challenges such as technical issues and faculty resistance require institutional support and professional development initiatives to overcome. The integration of technology in chemistry education holds promise for transforming traditional teaching practices and preparing students for careers in scientific research and industry. Future research should focus on exploring emerging technologies and innovative pedagogical strategies to further optimize technology integration in higher education.

Enhancing Learners’ Conceptual Understanding of Reaction Kinetics Using Computer Simulations – A Case Study Approach

AbstractOne of the critical goals of teaching chemistry is to enable learners to gain conceptual understanding. Traditional instruction has often been associated with rote memorisation, resulting in learners failing to explain observed chemical phenomena, make predictions based on acquired concepts, advance convincing arguments, and engage in meaningful problem-solving and critical thinking. Therefore, the study aimed to describe the conceptual understanding of the learners taught Reaction Kinetics using computer simulations supported by the Predict-Observe-Explain strategy. The study was guided by Holme, Luxford, and Brandriet’s five categories of conceptual understanding—transfer, translation, problem-solving, prediction, and depth as the conceptual framework. This was a descriptive study in which a case study research approach was used. Five purposively sampled grade 12 learners participated in the study, representing the range of cognitive abilities from a secondary school class of 53 learners. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. The responses of the five participants were analysed using the qualitative content analysis. The findings were that most of the learners’ responses were in the sound understanding sub-category, some were in the partial understanding sub-category, and a few were in the no understanding sub-category, which made us conclude that computer simulations supported by the Predict-Observe-Explain strategy assisted the learners in conceptual understanding. The learners gained an understanding of most concepts, although their responses in the partial understanding sub-category showed difficulties related to depth, transfer, and translation. These findings are expected to assist chemistry teachers, teacher educators, and curriculum planners in improving learners’ conceptual understanding of chemistry.

Evaluation of Senior High School Students’ Ability to Reading Chemistry Text

Science text reading activities can introduce students to understanding chemical concepts and practice reading skills. Reading skills play an important role in science education because they are related to student's cognitive and metacognitive abilities. This study aims to see how the ability to read texts and students' understanding of chemical concepts through texts. This research uses a mixed method design, embedded type. Quantitative data is obtained through survey results and qualitative data is obtained through interviews to strengthen the justification of quantitative data obtained. Participants in this study were 299 high school students in the cities of Malang and Batu. The research instrument is an instrument of reading chemistry text skills (r = 0.918) consisting of 3 chemistry texts and in each of them, there are 8 essay questions covering literal, interpretation, and application aspects. The profile of students' reading skills based on the results of surveys and interviews shows that most students' reading skills have not been able to understand the idea of chemical concepts correctly, have not been able to describe chemical terms in the text correctly, students' explanations of chemical concepts are at the structural level, and have not been able to provide creative ideas (arguments) for solutions to problems presented in the text. The implications of this study need to be explicit skills in reading chemistry texts to understand chemical concepts and be proficient in reading chemistry texts.

Enhancing Students' Conceptual Understanding of Chemistry in a SiMaYang Learning Environment

Students’ conceptual understanding of chemistry needs to be supported by the skill to think at three levels of representation. Many students have difficulty understanding chemistry concepts because of it. Chemistry teaching needs to provide a learning environment that involves chemical representations to facilitate students’ interconnection skills of three levels of representation and ultimately improve students’ conceptual understanding. SiMaYang learning was designed by integrating chemical representation during the learning process. This study aimed to enhance students’ conceptual understanding of chemistry through the implementation of SiMaYang learning. A descriptive quantitative research method with one group pretest-posttest design was used in this study. Students’ conceptual understanding was measured using three sets of essay tests containing macroscopic, symbolic, and submicroscopic tests for the topic of the buffer concept. The research data were analyzed descriptively and statistically using N-gain and paired sample t-tests. The results of the paired sample t-test showed the sig value. 0.000 <0.05, which means SiMaYang learning affects increasing students’ conceptual understanding of chemistry. The finding of this study informed the students’ conceptual understanding of chemistry increased in the medium category (N-gain = 0.62). SiMaYang learning, which was designed to involve three levels of representation, can increase students’ conceptual understanding of chemistry. Keywords: chemistry, conceptual understanding ,SiMaYang learning environment

Chemistry-Focused Conceptual Understanding Research Trends: A Systematic Review

Research related to conceptual understanding is often carried out, such as the influence of a model on conceptual understanding, or knowing students' level of understanding of chemistry concepts. However, there has been no systematic reflection on chemistry research focused on conceptual understanding. Based on this, this research aims to systematically synthesize articles related to chemistry focused on research trends in conceptual understanding with the year range of articles used 2014-2023. After conducting a national and international data search using keyword patterns (e.g., Pattern 1: conceptual and chemical understanding), 48 research papers emerged for systematic review. Then, primary and secondary codes were created by the authors for the research paper. The systematic review showed a variety of research scopes (e.g., relevance of chemistry education models) and dominant research focus for different themes (e.g., competencies and variables related to objectives, variables, samples, chemistry concepts, and conclusions). Furthermore, it was revealed that research on understanding chemical concepts includes various research fields.

Komparasi Efektivitas Metode Pembelajaran terhadap Pemahaman Konsep Kimia

The purpose of this study is to determine the influence of learning methods on the understanding of chemical concepts among high school students in South Jakarta. The method employed is experimentation. The population size in this study is 611 students, thus the sample taken is 10% of the population, which is 60 students. The results of hypothesis testing indicate a significant influence of the learning method on the understanding of chemical concepts among high school students in South Jakarta.

Crucial role of the internalisation of the distinction between dependent and independent variables for clearer chemistry understanding

Abstract Mathematics constitutes a fundamental key for the description and understanding of many phenomena. The chemistry discourse incorporates mathematics in various ways and instances. At educational level, interchanges occur in two directions: mathematics provides support for clearer understanding of chemical phenomena, and the level at which students use the relevant mathematics is an indication of the clarity of their conceptual understanding in chemistry. The present work focuses on an issue for which mathematics tightly links to the conceptual understanding of physical terms – the issue of independent and dependent variables. The definition is in principle well known. On the other hand, the distinction between the two types of variables and their roles is not always clearly underlined at explanation level, and is often not sufficiently internalised by students. This results in a variety of misunderstandings and errors. Careful analysis of students’ works enables the identification of errors that can be tracked down to unclear distinction between the dependent and independent variables in a given context; such errors appear in several areas of chemistry, at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The present work considers and analyses a number of representative examples, highlighting the impact of their unclear distinction and the ensuing importance of devoting specific attention to it. Selected addressing approaches from direct experience are included and their outcomes discussed.

Pengaruh Model Blended Learning terhadap Kemampuan Memecahkan Masalah Siswa pada Materi Faktor-Faktor yang Memengaruhi Laju Reaksi

Interviews with Chemistry teachers at SMA Negeri 3 Surabaya showed several problems, including low student motivation and teachers' lack of understanding of Chemistry concepts. The experimental study used a quantitative approach with a quasi-nonequivalent pretest-posttest control group experimental design. The Lab Rotation type Blended Learning model significantly improves students' problem-solving abilities in reaction rate chemicals. The results of statistical analysis showed P Alpha of 0.014 < 0.05, and t count (t Stat) 2.53 > t table (t Critical two-tail) 2.00. In conclusion, there is a positive influence of the blended learning model on the problem-solving ability of students in Chemistry material at SMA Negeri 3 Surabaya.

The impact of co-design-based formative assessment practices on preservice science teachers’ understanding of chemical concepts in a general chemistry laboratory course

Recently, scholars have suggested a co-design collaboration with instructors and students to effectively implement formative assessment (FA) practices because it ensures a high-quality design that considers users’ needs, values, and goals in a specific learning context. This study examines the effect of co-designed FA practices, in which preservice science teachers (PSTs) are co-designers of FA practices, on promoting their conceptual understanding of chemistry topics in a first-year undergraduate chemistry laboratory course. Sixteen randomly selected PSTs participated in the study for two consecutive semesters. At the end of the first semester, a co-design of the FA practices was developed collaboratively with the PSTs upon the approach of conjecture mapping. Then, the second semester was devoted to examining the impact of the co-design-based FA environment on overcoming the PSTs’ alternative conceptions regarding selected four chemistry laboratory topics: thermochemistry, chemical kinetics, chemical equilibrium, acids and bases. This study employed a conversion mixed research design. To evaluate the co-design-based FA practices, PSTs’ alternative conceptions were identified through pre- and post-laboratory concept maps. The results obtained from both qualitative and quantitative data analyses showed that implementing the co-designed FA practices had a significant impact on overcoming most of the alternative conceptions held by the PSTs in all topics of laboratory investigations. This study strongly implies the inclusion of undergraduate students as active co-participants of the iterative reasoning process of the FA design to promote their understanding of chemical concepts in laboratory courses.

The evolution of an assignment: how a Writing-to-Learn assignment's design shapes organic chemistry students’ elaborations on reaction mechanisms

Asking students to explain why phenomena occur at a molecular level is vital to increasing their understanding of chemistry concepts. One way to elicit students’ mechanistic reasoning and guide construction of knowledge is through Writing-to-Learn (WTL), which is a promising approach for students in organic chemistry courses. In the design of WTL assignments, rhetorical aspects provide an authentic context by designating a role, genre, and audience for students. This context can support students’ learning, but, if the rhetorical aspects misalign with the learning objectives of the assignment, they can hinder students’ ability to achieve these objectives. In this project, we designed a WTL assignment about a base-free Wittig reaction, which we implemented in an organic chemistry laboratory course. Here, we explore how changes in the rhetorical aspects of this assignment can influence the way students explain two different comparisons of reaction mechanisms. We consider how students use explicit and implicit properties and how the use of these features compares within the context of the reaction. Results indicate that, when the rhetorical aspects align with the learning objectives of the assignment, students provide more productive elaborations that use both explicit and implicit properties. This is supported by both the analysis of students’ writing and students’ feedback about the assignments.

Strengthening Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Designing Laboratory Activity Based on Small-Scale Chemistry Practicum Approach

<p style="text-align:justify">The purpose of this research is to strengthen pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in designing laboratory activities based on small-scale chemistry approaches. This research is action research involving 60 trainee teachers with stages that include (a) Reflect; (b) Plan; (c) Act; (d) Observe; (e) Reflect (2nd); (f) Plan (2nd). Qualitative data were collected through (a) Questionnaires reflecting on experiences in practicing chemistry learning and responses to the importance of learning, (b) a Portfolio of chemistry practicum design, (c) documentation of the process of carrying out design, implementation, and practicum evaluation activities, (d) field notes, (e) reflection sheet, and (f) Portfolio of follow-up plans. The data is displayed through the R computation system with data pre-processing stages in the teacher's reflection text which includes basic cleaning, case folding, normalization, stemming, and deleting meaningless words. Display data in the form of word clouds, frequency expression diagrams, and tabulations. Descriptive narratives are used to analyze the documentation obtained in the action process. The teacher group demonstrated performance in implementing small-scale practicum activities. Teachers are increasingly skilled in modifying conventional laboratory equipment, minimizing the amount of chemical use, minimizing waste disposal, and increasing efficiency in the duration of practicum implementation. The follow-up plan for this activity includes quality improvement in aspects of (a) skill in using laboratory equipment, (b) understanding of chemical concepts, (c) equipment availability, materials, and work procedures, and (d) implementation of chemistry practicum.</p>

What makes representations good representations for science education? A teacher-oriented summary of significant findings and a practical guideline for the transfer into teaching

Abstract Existing instructional materials for chemistry offer a huge range of different external representations that can be used by chemistry teachers to support students’ understanding of chemical concepts like the concept structure of matter. In science, different kinds of representations are usually combined forming multiple external representations. Examples are combinations of texts, pictures, figures, diagrams, graphs, tables, schemes etc. However, these multiple external representations often have problematic features and/or do not meet students’ subject-related learning needs. For example, many external representations do not take different representational levels into account and/or mix information on the macroscopic level with those from the submicroscopic level. Such representations have the potential to favor students’ misconceptions who often struggle with separating different representational levels. Therefore, it is important to highlight crucial characteristics of external representations that potentially facilitate students’ learning of chemical concepts at lower secondary schools (age group 10–14). When chemistry teachers consider and reflect crucial characteristics of representations and adapt existing external representations or develop new ones, these new representations can become powerful cognitive tools helping to make instruction in chemistry more effective and coherent. This article answers the question What makes representations good representations in science education? by describing features of effective learning with decisive characteristics of multiple external representations and highlighting these characteristics by means of concrete examples from chemistry learning. Finally, an online tool will be outlined that can help teachers to improve multiple external representations for use in chemistry classes.

Face-to-Face and Blended: Two Pedagogical Conditions for Testing the Efficacy of the Culturo-Techno-Contextual Approach on Learning Anxiety and Achievement in Chemistry

Approaches to teaching science are undergoing a mutation and new variants such as the Culturo-Techno-Contextual Approach (CTCA) have emerged and are proving to be more potent than the older variants. This study explored the efficacy of CTCA in reducing learning anxiety and promoting meaningful learning of chemistry among secondary school students by comparing the performance of the two experimental groups with that of the control group. The study employed an explanatory sequential design. The quantitative phase was quasi-experimental, while the qualitative phase was an in-depth interview. A total of 141 senior secondary II students (the equivalent of grade 11) from three purposively selected schools in Lagos State education district V were sampled. The Electrochemistry Achievement Test and revised Science Anxiety Scale which had reliability coefficients of 0.78 and 0.95, respectively, were the instruments used to collect quantitative data, while the students’ perception about CTCA interview guide was used to collect the qualitative data. The two experimental groups were taught using CTCA in a face-to-face class and blended learning mode, while the control group was taught using the traditional lecture method. Treatment lasted five weeks after which posttest and retention test (four weeks after posttest) were conducted. Quantitative data were analyzed using one-way MANCOVA, the qualitative data were analyzed using framework analysis. The results showed that each of the CTCA groups outperformed the lecture group on measures of achievement (F(2,136) = 72.05; p < 0.01) and anxiety (F(2,136) = 11.87; p < 0.01). CTCA was also found not to have a significant differential impact on the experimental groups based on gender. By these results, it was inferred that irrespective of the learning platforms (online or physical), CTCA has the potency to improve students’ understanding of chemistry concepts compared to the traditional lecture method. Therefore, within the limitations of the study, it was concluded that CTCA is a viable teaching approach for reducing learning anxiety and promoting meaningful learning of chemistry concepts. Open doors for future exploration were also highlighted.

“I guess it was more than just my general knowledge of chemistry”: exploring students’ confidence judgments in two-tiered assessments

Two-tiered assessment structures with paired content and confidence items are frequently used within chemistry assessments to stimulate and measure students’ metacognition. The confidence judgment is designed to promote students’ reflection on their application of content knowledge and can be characterized as calibrated or miscalibrated based on their accuracy. Previous studies often attributed students’ miscalibrated confidence rankings to metaignorance, however, in this qualitative study, interviews with general chemistry students were thematically analysed to provide a more robust understanding of the processes and factors students use when engaging with these metacognitive prompts in a chemistry assessment. Both calibrated and miscalibrated confidence judgments were observed independent of accuracy. Students who provided miscalibrated confidence judgments often used unreliable metrics such as processing fluency which can mimic content mastery whereas students who provided more accurate evaluations of their confidence relied more heavily on their stable understanding of chemistry concepts. Many students cited previous experiences, underlying self-efficacy beliefs, and/or the use of test-taking strategies which negatively or positively impacted their confidence. These findings suggest that the confidence tier is indeed capturing students’ self-assessment, however, students’ confidence judgments are based on a range of factors independent of content knowledge which may impede on the utility of this metacognitive tool for students, researchers, and instructors.

THE WATERWORKS: A CONTEXT FOR UNDERSTANDING CHEMISTRY CONCEPTS IN THE SEVENTH GRADE OF PRIMARY SCHOOL

Industry field trips provide the contexts that enable students to improve their understanding of chemical concepts and processes. The aim of this research study was to explore to what extent students improve their understanding of water, solutions, mixtures, and the methods used for separating mixture components in the context of the waterworks, and what their views towards such an approach are. The sample consisted of 36 students aged 13 to 14 years, equally divided into the experimental and control group. The teaching unit Water and its significance for the living world was realised within the context of the waterworks in the experimental group, while in the control group it was realised using a conventional approach at school. Prior to the elaboration of the teaching unit the students from both groups had been tested using a pre-test, and upon the completion they were tested using a post-test. The views of the experimental group were examined using a questionnaire. The obtained results showed that the activities in the context of waterworks improved the understanding of the studied concepts, that students recognised the relevance of the applied context for their personal and societal life, as well as for their own future professional activities. Keywords: chemistry concepts, context-based approach, waterworks, industry field trip, thirteen-year-old students

Chemistry Takes Center Stage: Stories and Narratives as Tools for Instruction

Chemistry provides a constant interplay among the macroscopic, molecular, and atomistic views of matter requiring chemical educators to devise effective strategies for merging these attributes. Often, educators are challenged on how to progress towards conducive and active learning where students can see vividly through the lens of conceptual understanding. Chemistry has stories to tell; through narratives, we can convey meaning and create synchrony with the world. This viewpoint offers a glimpse into the utility of narrative thinking and storytelling as instructional tools to enable students’ conceptual understanding of chemistry. A non-exhaustive outlook on learning difficulties is given along with critical aspects of how active narration touches on human psychological perception and, thus, embeds instructions by synchronizing concepts with the world.

High school students’ understanding of molecular representations in a context-based multi-model chemistry learning approach

ABSTRACT Context-Based Learning (CBL) and learning through developing and using models are two important teaching approaches for chemistry conceptual understanding. We aimed to examine the influence of a CBL approach on students’ understanding of Multiple Models of Knowledge Representations (MMKRs) and multiple molecular representations. Research participants included high-school students in three different research groups. The context-based group (N = 271) studied food chemistry in a CBL approach. The traditional group studied according to the traditional curriculum (high-school organic chemistry), and the traditional + food group studied according to the traditional curriculum, with the addition of food-related topics (N = 99). The context-based group had a greater effect on increasing students’ ability to understand and relate to MMKRs and manipulate and connect among various multiple molecular representations (both indicators for conceptual understanding in chemistry). Food chemistry topics were also beneficial for students who did not learn in a CBL approach, however, with a lower effect. More students in the context-based group have shifted to being high achievers. Additionally, low-achievers have progressed significantly more than medium and high achievers. This research connects CBL to aspects of the practice of ‘developing and using models’ in chemistry, and a way to look at, and assess, conceptual understanding in chemistry.

Efektivitas Video Pembelajaran Berbasis Zenius.Net Dalam Meningkatkan Pemahaman Konsep Kimia Siswa

This research has a core objective, namely to find out the effectiveness of the application of Zenius-based learning videos in improving students' understanding of chemical concepts. This research is included in the category of experimental type quantitative research. Meanwhile, the research method chosen was One Group Pretest-Posttest Design, which means that only one research group was used. A total of 17 students were selected from class X and XI MA Anshor Beber as the research population using saturated sampling technique or population research. The data analysis technique used in this study combines descriptive data analysis for the measurement of the mean and inferential statistics for testing the significance of the t-test value. The significance of the Ngain value was tested using a t-test (paired samples t-test) and the results were used to interpret the extent of students' understanding of chemical concepts. The average N-gain of students' conceptual understanding after the application of Zenius-based learning videos is 0.7 with a medium category. The average understanding of students' concepts after treatment (77) was proven to be significantly greater than before being given treatment (34) based on the value of t count = 28.8 which was greater than tcritical = 2.1 for dk = 15 with a p significance value of 0.000. Therefore, it can be concluded that zenius.net-based learning videos are effective in increasing students' understanding of concepts.

Measuring Students' Learning and Attitude as Exposed to Microscale Laboratory Experiments in Inorganic Chemistry

Microscale chemistry is an approach to conducting chemistry experiments which can help overcome increased concerns about environmental pollution problems as well as rising laboratory costs. It is accomplished by using miniature labware and significantly reduced amounts of chemicals. The main goal of this study was to explore whether the use of microscale chemistry experiments can increase student’s understanding of chemistry concepts and improve attitude towards chemistry practical work. Quasi-experimental design without control group was used to determine from purposively selected class of 40 freshman students of Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSE). The students worked in groups on eight microscale chemistry experiments in a period of 8 weeks. Pre and post-test were administered before and after the treatment. Results revealed that microscale approach significantly improved student chemistry academic performance. Students’ perception of microscale is positive. Findings showed that the microscale approach can increase understanding of chemistry concepts.
 
 Keywords: learning, students’ attitude, microscale laboratory

Evaluation of Chemistry Content Knowledge and Verbal Analogical Reasoning as Potential Predictors of Teachers' Quality of Chemistry Concept Analogies

This study evaluated the possible relationship of Chemistry Content Knowledge and Verbal Analogical Reasoning to Teacher's Chemistry Concept analogies among 20 Public High School Science Teachers in Cebu, Philippines using validated questionnaires. Test for Chemistry Content Knowledge showed that teacher-respondents' scores has a mean of 34.90, indicating an approaching proficiency level of knowledge in Chemistry concepts with Chemical reactions and Atomic structure as the least and mastered topics, respectively in the test. A mean of 23.10 was a result for the test in Verbal Analogical reasoning, indicating a below-average analogical reasoning skills among teacher-respondents. These then implied the need to improve teacher-respondents Chemistry Content Knowledge and Verbal Analogical Reasoning skills. Moreover, analogies by the teacher-respondents on Chemistry concepts exhibited qualities of good analogies, although some qualities such as the use of functional similarities and discussing the deviation of the target and analog concept were not observed. It was also found out that there were no significant relationship among the variables, Chemistry Content Knowledge and Verbal Analogical Reasoning as indicated by the p-value of 0.360. Moreover, relationships between Chemistry Content Knowledge to Chemistry Concept Analogies and Verbal Analogical Reasoning Analogies to Chemistry Concept Analogies were also not significant as indicated by p-values 0.097 and -0.068, respectively. Hence, Levels of Chemistry Content Knowledge and Verbal Analogical Reasoning were not predictors of the quality of analogies employed by teachers in teaching Chemistry concepts. This study aimed to provide educational experts insights into these factors' underlying relationships and improve chemistry education quality by supporting teachers' understanding of Chemistry concepts and use of analogies. Moreover, results of this study filled the gap of understanding the relationship between Chemistry Content Knowledge and Analogical Reasoning to teachers' effective use of analogies in teaching Chemistry concepts.