Addressing the alternative conception of senior high school students in chemical kinetics

• Main Author: Santos, Marc Lancer J.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2019
• Subjects: Chemical kinetics—Study and teaching; Chemistry; Science and Mathematics Education
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/6173; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etd_masteral/article/13230/viewcontent/Addressing_the_alternative_conceptions2_Redacted.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

The action research focuses on improving the teaching of chemical kinetics by addressing the alternative conceptions of grade 11 senior high school students. The research was implemented in one intact class of 38 students that the teacher is handling for the course General Chemistry 2. The Rate of Reaction Concept Test was used to probe the pre and post-test conceptions of the students unto which the lesson plan was based. Interviews to selected students were also administered to support the results of the RRCT. The teacher-designed lesson plan was based on evidence based instruction considering the Conceptual change model by Posner et. al. (1982). It was found out that students had significant improvement using paired sample t-test (t (38) = -11.61, p<0.05). Furthermore, there was an average of 4.21 gain score by the students which provided a large effect size (Cohen’s d score of 2.07 and an effect size of 0.72). Students were also seen to improve their conceptions about chemical kinetics particularly on the definition of rate of reaction, activation energy, catalyst, and reaction mechanisms. Although there are still alternative conceptions for topic on determination of rate law equation, effect of concentration, temperature and surface area to the rate of reaction, students had shown better articulation of their understanding.