The Effectiveness Of Nanoscience Activities In Improving Secondary School Students’ Attitude, Relevance, And Understanding Of Chemistry Concepts
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Date
2018-01
Authors
Chua, Kah Heng
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Abstract
Laboratory activities is seen as an essential part of teaching and learning of chemistry. In chemistry lessons, teacher is trying to extend students’ knowledge and develop their understanding of the ideas, theories and models that chemists have found useful in explaining and predicting its behaviour. At the same time foster a positive attitude towards chemistry lessons and increase the relevance of chemistry education among students. This study was conducted with the aim of introducing nanoscience activities as a laboratory based teaching approach as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of these nanoscience activities on the secondary school students’ attitude towards chemistry lessons, perception towards the relevance of chemistry education and understanding of chemistry concepts. Questionnaire survey and interviews were conducted to measure the change in the dependent variables. Questionnaire on Attitude towards Chemistry Lessons was used to measure the attitudinal change. The Relevance of Chemistry Education Scale was employed to measure perception change towards the relevant of chemistry education, and Chemistry Achievement Test to measure the acquisition of chemistry concepts. Interviews were conducted to get in-depth information to support the outcome of quantitative analysis. The study involved 163 Form Four students. A total of 8 nanoscience activities were adopted for the use as laboratory activities manual. MANCOVA, ANCOVA and Bayesian test were performed to look into the changes in the dependent variables. For attitude towards chemistry lessons, significant results were obtained for overall attitude and all the four constructs. Significant changes were obtained in the overall perception towards the relevant of chemistry education and all the six constructs. For chemistry concepts, ANCOVA analysis indicate that the difference between control group and experimental group is significant. Interview responses further support the significant results obtained in the quantitative findings. As such, nanoscience activities are one approach that could be adopted to impart knowledge and enhance students’ attitude towards chemistry lessons and change students’ perception towards the relevance of chemistry education.
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Keywords
Effectiveness of these nanoscience activities , on the secondary school students