Data-Driven Implementation and Adaptation of New Teaching Methodologies

This paper describes an action research approach toward an implementation of a new teaching methodology (specifically active learning) in a preparatory college chemistry classroom. The initial implementation involved the use of process-orientated guided inquiry (POGIL) activities. The treatment classes with either all POGIL activities during lecture or lectures incorporating POGIL one-third of the time were found to perform lower than the control. For the second implementation, the active learning activities were altered. The authors eliminated many of the reading components and incorporated mini-lectures into the active learning activities. Examining assessment data as a measure of student-content learning, it appears the altered activities are a better match for this preparatory chemistry course. Throughout this process, they focused on the careful analysis of intentionally collected data on student-content learning. This, accompanied by an openness to change direction on the basis of such results, represents a powerful model for teaching change. (Contains 10 tables.)