Class Map: Improving Students’ Skills of Organic Synthesis in Learning Organic Chemistry for Pre-University Students

This action research uses the Kemmis & Mc Taggart Model (1988) to improve the skills for science stream of pre-university students in organic synthesis topic to convert one functional group to another by using Class Map in learning Organic Chemistry. The objectives of this study were to improve memory skills in conversion of functional groups in an Organic Chemistry reaction and to cultivate students' interest in the subject of Organic Chemistry. A total of six students of 6 Delta 2, SMK Sultan Abu Bakar were involved in this study. Preliminary surveys were conducted through observations, document analysis and interviews. The results of the survey showed that students could not remember the conversion of functional group well because in the Semester Three chemistry syllabus, there are too many chemical reactions, causing students less interested in learning Organic Chemistry. Students were exposed to the Class Map within two months. The test results displayed that (i) students can recall the functional group conversion reaction in an Organic Chemistry and (ii) students can apply the organic reactions learned in answering questions. The findings of the interviews showed that students can cultivate an interest in Organic Chemistry subject.

A simple and accurate method to calculate square roots and cube roots for Chemistry students without calculator.

Presented here are two simple formulae, for the calculation of square and cube roots that are frequently encountered in Chemistry courses, at school and college levels (whether undergraduate or graduate). However, tests are difficult to be designed which do not provide for a calculator and which require the calculation of these quantities. The formulae are simple interval-weighted denominator method based to get an accurate value of these quantities. This will enable students to quickly and accurately compute square roots and cube roots.

Characterising collaboration: Reflecting on a partnership between academic support staff and lecturers to help university students learn how to write for the discipline of chemistry

Academic staff often lament their students’ abilities to write for academic purposes. To address these writing challenges, faculty members can seek support from their university writing centres. Despite the expertise that can be found in areas of writing pedagogy in this location, these partnerships can often be asymmetrical with the academic staff members’ ways of knowing overpowering those belonging to members of the writing centre. Perhaps these issues of inequity and disregard between disciplines are one reason at least half the collaborations that form in universities context fizzle rather than flourish. This article reports on findings from a reflective investigation done by three members of a collaboration that is currently flourishing in its efforts to help first and final year chemistry students learn how to write for academic and research purposes in their discipline at one university of technology in South Africa. Using in-depth interviews, we, two members of the chemistry department and the coordinator of the university writing centre, reflected on our experiences beginning, implementing, and moving the partnership forward. From this reflective process, we have realised that the team members possess particular characteristics (i.e. ways of thinking and being) that have perhaps enabled this enterprise to successful work towards its goal.

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.

Enhancing Science Process Skills Acquisition in Chemistry among Secondary School Students through Context-Based Learning

The study examined the effect of Context Based Learning (CBL) and gender influence on chemistry students’ acquisition of Integrated Science Process Skills (ISPS). Two research questions guided the study. This study used a quasi-experimental research design with a sample of 192 participants who had an average age of 15. Three instruments were used in data collection. Data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation. The results showed that Context Based Learning (CBL) had more effect on students’ Integrated Science Process Skills (ISPS) in chemistry. Students exposed to CBL pedagogy acquired more Experimental Skill (EXPS) than Analyzing and Interpreting Data Skill (ANIDS) with Identifying and Controlling Variables Skill (ICVS) the least. Also, students exposed to Conventional Strategy (COS) excelled in ANIDS, more so than Identifying and Controlling Variables Skill (ICVS) with Experimental Skill (EXPS) the least acquired. The influence of gender on ISPS was observed in favour of females. The study concluded that gender imbalance exists in all spheres of life, therefore, chemistry teachers should help students in acquiring integrated science skills using the two approaches to enhance male and female students’ knowledge, values, and skills creatively in secondary school chemistry. The study recommends the teaching of students on everyday activities that foster gender balance in Lagos State secondary schools.

LEARNING INNOVATION OF INSTRUMENTAL ANALYSIS LAB WORK FOR IMPROVING STUDENTS NEW LITERACIES AND LEARNING MOTIVATION IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Background: The COVID-19 outbreak has changed education dramatically. Teaching and learning are undertaken remotely and on digital platforms. Therefore, learning innovation needs to be carried out to keep and maintain the learning objectives. Unfortunately, some courses are challenging to carry out remotely, such as Instrumental analysis labwork. This chemistry labwork involves using modern analytical instrumentation, such as HPLC, AAS, and GC. Aim: In this study, an innovation of an online learning model of instrumental analysis labwork for chemistry students was carried out. The innovation aims to provide authentic and motivational experiences for students while learning remotely. Methods: The first innovation was carried out by verification experiments using an interactive virtual pH meter and visible spectrophotometer. The second was carried out by designing a creative project-based experiment. The experiment determined the concentration of colored solutions by utilizing digital cameras or smartphones and color image analysis software as a substitute for a visible spectrophotometer. The implementation of experiments with interactive virtual media was intended to introduce various analytical instrumentations. In addition, this also trained the students in processing and interpreting experimental data. Meanwhile, the project-based experiments were intended to prepare students to design and apply an experiment, then analyze and report the results creatively. Results and Discussion: The authentic assessment resulted in data literacy, technological literacy, and human literacy having high and very high criteria, namely 89%, 95%, and 95%, respectively. Meanwhile, students abilities in designing projects and processing data need to be improved. Conclusions: In general, the learning innovation developed is proven to increase the learning motivation of all students.