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There have been many practical obstacles for teachers to implement evidence-based educational technology, especially in STEM classrooms. By implementing learning principles related to Cognitive Load Theory, we developed an innovative Technology-Assisted Guided Learning (TAGL) approach and its web-based instructional tool, combining expertise from educational research and best teaching practices to enhance guided student-centered learning in chemistry. A total of 185 community college students were randomly assigned to learn stoichiometry through either TAGL or one of two active control interventions, traditional direct instruction and Khan Academy, a widely used web learning platform. We found that the TAGL group significantly outperformed both active control groups immediately after instruction, and furthermore, despite the fact that all groups received additional instruction in stoichiometry, the beneficial effects of TAGL compared to the control groups were maintained a month later. Notably, TAGL was able to eliminate the achievement gap between students with low prior knowledge and students with high prior knowledge. Furthermore, prior-knowledge activation was found to be especially beneficial for students with low prior knowledge. Our work contributes to existing research in learning theories and provides new insight toward the development of more effective and adaptive instructional designs. By translating research into practice, this study demonstrates the great potential of using innovative computer-based technology to improve student learning for all.

The role of information and communication technology as well as teaching aids in specialized chemistry instruction was examined in the article. One of the key outcomes of specialized instruction in chemistry is the development of research skills in high school students. To ensure conformity with the principles of specialized chemistry teaching, ICT tools have been analyzed and systematized. The decision to use ICT tools to implement specialized chemistry training and strengthen the research skills of high school students in specialized chemistry training had supported. The findings of a study to assess the feasibility of implementing certain ICT tools to strengthen the research skills of high school students in specialized chemistry training are provided.

Understanding chemistry requires the interplay of several modes of representations which can be observed in the translational skills of students. This paper investigated the extent of the translational skills of students exposed to conventional lecture method (CLM) and the integrated macro-micro-symbolic approach (IMMSA). Individual interviews were conducted, and the results were presented based on Johnstone’s Chemistry Triangles. Findings revealed that the CLM group had a fair extent of translational skills, lacked two-way translations, and followed pattern 1 skills. On the other hand, the IMMSA group had satisfactory skills, included two-way translations, and followed patterns 1 and 2. This led to the conclusion that interplay within and between chemical modes of representation creates a relational understanding in chemistry. It was suggested that teachers should start their instruction from microscopic terminal for deeper understanding in the macroscopic and symbolic levels.

The aim of this study is to explore the possible use of the indicators of creative thinking, taken from the Trefoil concept, in the field of chemistry when assessing students’ performance, determining the potential for creative development and providing directions for further work. In this way, chemistry instruction might contribute to encouraging the creative abilities of students necessary in the modern, fast-paced world. There is the question of whether the indicators of creative thinking can be useful in evaluating students’ achievements in the situation of solving open-ended tasks in the field of chemistry and the kinds of results achieved by students. The research sample included 97 eight-grade students from two primary schools in Belgrade. The research was conducted at the end of the eighth grade in the school year 2016/17, after the entire chemistry curriculum for primary school had been covered. An appropriate achievement test was constructed and then implemented. The obtained results indicate that a large number (30%) of students are capable of formulating several acceptable answers to the given open-ended task, which is a characteristic of divergent thinking in sciences. This finding is even more relevant if we bear in mind that the students from this sample did not have any similar type of demands or experiences in previous classes. This points to the fact that there is a significant potential for developing creative thinking, which might be realised if students solved open-ended tasks more frequently. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. 179034: Od podsticanja inicijative, saradnje i stvaralaštva u obrazovanju do novih uloga i identiteta u društvu]

The principal aim of our research was to gain insight from the students' perspective into the teaching strategies utilized by chemistry teachers when teaching general, inorganic and organic chemistry, and to study their effect on student achievement. The sample consisted of 741 high school students aged between 16 and 18. A questionnaire was designed with 24 items with a five-point Likert-type scale. The findings show that chemistry teachers use various teaching strategies, but do not indicate variation in teaching strategies with regard to general, non-organic and organic chemistry content. The greatest effect on student achievement in chemistry is produced by strategies that stimulate individual laboratory work, the solving of practical tasks and problems, and a deductive approach to the study of chemistry subject matter. This study contributes to the specification of teaching strategies employed in teaching practice, which is an important reference point in analyzing and drawing out practical implications for chemistry teachers.

Understanding chemistry requires the interplay of several modes of representations which can be observed in the translational skills of students. This paper investigated the extent of the translational skills of students exposed to conventional lecture method (CLM) and the integrated macro-micro-symbolic approach (IMMSA). Individual interviews were conducted, and the results were presented based on Johnstone's Chemistry Triangles. Findings revealed that the CLM group had a fair extent of translational skills, lacked two-way translations, and followed pattern 1 skills. On the other hand, the IMMSA group had satisfactory skills, included two-way translations, and followed patterns 1 and 2. This led to the conclusion that interplay within and between chemical modes of representation creates a relational understanding in chemistry. It was suggested that teachers should start their instruction from microscopic terminal for deeper understanding in the macroscopic and symbolic levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of the Institute of Educational Research / Zbornik Instituta za Pedagoška Istrazivanja is the property of National Library of Serbia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Connecting science, technology and the society is one of the important principles of contemporary education. The foundation of this principle is the idea that scientific and technological achievements should be useful and applicable in everyday life of an individual. The paper presents the main determinants of the STS project (Science, Technology and Society Project) which deals with studying the influence of scientific research and technological development on social, political and cultural values. The basic goal of education within the STS Project is to enable the students to understand and learn to incorporate the achievements of scientific and technological development in their own cultural, ecological, economic, political and social contexts. In addition to this, the paper presents the role of sciences in connecting science, technology and the society and describes the possibilities of incorporating a similar project in chemistry instruction in our school. Pilot study which was conducted refers to the proposal for applying the principles on which the STS project is based in chemistry instruction in our country. This pilot study can present the basis for future research and the guideline that can be used for promoting the process of education in primary and secondary school.

The present study deals with the two main concerns presented in the systems thinking literature: its development and assessment. The study sample included 119 high school students who studied organic chemistry during the 2012/2013 school year. In order to achieve the study’s objective, the following steps were undertaken. Firstly, the students were divided into the two groups, one experimental (E) and one control (C). The formed groups were subjected to different learning environments, which provide us the possibility to examine the efficiency of the new instructional tool (systemic synthesis questions, [SSynQs] 1 1 [SSynQs] – Systemic synthesis questions. ), comparing it with the traditional one. In addition, the research included [SSynQs] and conventional questions as the assessment tools which we used in order to collect data related to students’ systems thinking. In order to evaluate students’ responses on [SSynQs], the scoring rubric was developed and resulted in four levels of systems thinking. The findings indicated that differences between the E and C groups’ abilities to think systemically grow linearly with the complexity of defined levels. Namely, unlike their peers forming the C group, the students exposed to the [SSynQs] made meaningful progress, reaching the highest levels of systems thinking. Nevertheless, the interesting finding appeared in observing the gender as independent variable: The female students in the E group outperformed males from the same group, showing better ability of dynamic and cyclic systems thinking. The reason for that could be found in learning style differences, however, this issue will be discussed in more detail in our future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of context based instruction over teacher centered chemistry instruction on 9th grade students' understanding of cleaning agents topic and their attitudes toward environment. Moreover students' science process skills were measured for using as a covariate. Participants were 222 ninth grade students from eight classes. Experimental group students were instructed with context based instruction and control group students were instructed with teacher centered chemistry instruction through five weeks. Cleaning Agents Achievement Test and Attitudes toward Environment Scale were used as pre and post tests. Science Process Skills test was used only as a pretest. According to statistical analyses (MANCOVA), there was a significant mean difference with respect to cleaning agents topic between the experimental and control group in the favor of experimental group and no significant difference with respect to attitude toward environment between the groups. Beside, science process skills were a strong predictor for understanding the cleaning agents topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Media4u Magazine is the property of Ing. Jan Chromy, Ph.D. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The present investigation was designed to determine if the learning benefits of metaphors and graphics could be combined into one instructional device—a metaphorical graphic—to aid in the acquisition of difficult concepts of chemistry. The authors further sought to determine if metaphorical graphics could foster greater retention of the basic properties of chemical elements when compared to verbal descriptions of those properties or traditional graphical representations of elements commonly seen as orbital diagrams in chemistry textbooks. The findings revealed that metaphorical graphics helped learners to develop a deeper understanding of the behavior and reactivity, but not physical properties, of the features of fifteen selected chemical elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Investigación y Postgrado is the property of Universidad Pedagogica Experimental Libertador and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The purpose of this survey study was to reveal secondary school students' views about to what extent science labs are in use, labs and chemistry teachers are prepared for applying revised chemistry curriculum based on constructivism at secondary schools. 2289 secondary school students from various school types and grades who had chemistry course were administered "The Student Demographics Form" and "The Questionnaire for Views on Lab Applications" (QVLA) in 2008-2009 academic year in Izmir. The students reported that no extra lesson for making experiment was scheduled; they were not informed about the experiments before performing them and although the teacher controlled each step of the experiments, lab applications were not a part of the course assesment. They also reported that the experiments were consistent with the lesson content; they made experiments consciously in secure lab settings and discussed the results of experiments with their chemistry teacher. Further analysis were conducted according to school type, grade and gender and the results were discussed accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]