Chem tasks approach to teaching general chemistry for nonscience majors

• Main Author: Silva, Noemi Basco
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 1991
• Subjects: Teaching methods; Chemistry > Study and teaching; Liberal arts students; Chemistry
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_doctoral/1265
• Institution: De La Salle University

The study develops, implements and evaluates the Chem Tasks Approach (CTA) to teaching General Chemistry for nonscience majors. The effectiveness of the CTA is compared with that of the Traditional Approach. The work had three phases: development of learning and testing materials, the experiment, and evaluation of the CTA. The study used the Nonequivalent Control Group Design. The subjects of the study were liberal arts students who were nonscience majors enrolled in Notre Dame of Marbel College and Notre Dame of Dadiangas College. The researcher administered the Chemistry Achievement Test as pretest and posttest to determine the achievement of students in both the experimental and control groups. The Test on Cognitive Development was given to the subjects of the study to find out their cognitive levels. Likert-type questionnaires were used to assess the Study Sheets and Summary Notes. The subjects assessed the CTA using the Chemistry Course Inventory. The t-test for dependent samples was computed to determine the significant differences in the gain scores within the experimental and control groups. To find the significant difference in the gain scores between the two groups, the t-test for independent samples was solved. The theta coefficient was used to indicate the degree of relationship between cognitive levels of the subjects and the teaching approach used. The two-factor ANCOVA was performed to determine if teaching approach, cognitive level, or their interaction affected the achievement of the subjects of the study. The statistical treatments were performed to test significant differences at .05 level. The findings of the study revealed that the Summary Notes and Study Sheets were found by the teacher evaluators to possess the characteristics of effective learning materials. The t-test for dependent samples showed significant differences in the gain scores of the subjects within the experimental and control groups. Both groups therefore, benefited from the treatments. However, no significant difference in gain scores was found between the two groups. This result was further supported by the two-factor ANCOVA. Hence, it can be said that the CTA is as effective as the Traditional Approach.