A Procedural Problem in Laboratory Teaching: Experiment and Explain, or Vice-Versa?
Pasl A. Jalil
Department of Chemistry, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia, and Institute of Academic Development and Training (IADAT), Khobar 31952, Saudi Arabia
This work describes two different approaches to teaching the laboratory segment
of a freshman chemistry course. In Approach I, each experiment was explained
and demonstrated to the students before they participated; the expected results
were also discussed. In Approach II, the students conducted the experiments
themselves with minimal help from the instructor. Students were surveyed regarding
their perceptions relative to understanding, enjoyment, achievement, and the
difficulty of conducting the experiments. While 54% of the students reported
increased understanding using Approach II, only 32% reported similarly following
Approach I. However, 78% of the students indicated that they felt a sense of
achievement using Approach II, and 76% agreed that conducting experiments independently
became routine or almost routine. The data showed that all students with high
quiz grades (≥ average + 1.5 of the standard deviation of the class) preferred
to do the experiments first, while only 17% of students with low grades (≤
average – 1.5 of the standard deviation of the class) preferred this
approach. The results are evaluated and discussed from the viewpoint of Bloom's
taxonomy, active learning strategies, and Perry's model of intellectual development.
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