Understanding Acid–base Concepts: Evaluating the Efficacy of a Senior High School Student-Centred Instructional Program in Indonesia

Abstract

This study was a mixed quantitative-qualitative research to evaluate the efficacy of a designed student-centred instructional (DSCI) program for teaching about acids and bases. The teaching innovation was designed based on constructivist, hands-on inquiry and context-based approaches and implemented in seven 45-min lessons with a class of 36 grade 11 students (experimental group) from a public senior high school in Indonesia. Another class of 38 students (comparison group) from the same school was instructed using a traditional teacher-centred approach. Data were obtained using a (1) 12-item achievement test on acids and bases that was administered to both groups as a pretest and a posttest, (2) self-evaluation 13-item questionnaire on students' perceptions of their competence and confidence in carrying out the inquiry activities that was administered to the experimental group and (3) 3-item open-ended questionnaire on students' perceptions of the instructional process using the DSCI that was administered to the experimental group. The results of the study showed that the teaching innovation was effective in improving students' understanding of acid-base concepts with significant difference between the two groups on the posttest mean scores. Moreover, the effectiveness of the innovation was supported by an increase in students' interest in learning science as indicated by their (1) positive perceptions of their engagement and competence in doing inquiry activities, (2) positive perceptions of the learning environment and (3) positive outcome expectations. The findings have implications for chemistry teaching in any institution with similar achieving students as well as for the professional development of teachers.KEY WORDS: constructivist approach, context-based approach, inquiry approach, interest, perceptions, student achievement, student-centred instruction, teaching effectiveness Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (

Undergraduate Students’ Misconception on Acid-Base and Argentometric Titrations: A Challenge to Implement Multiple Representation Learning Model With Cognitive Dissonance Strategy

“…However, it is well known that a combination of many methods is better than a single method (Gurel et al, 2015). As reported by Rahayu et al (2011), the teaching innovation in their study was effective in improving students' understanding, especially about acid-base concept. Innovations in teaching can improve students' understanding and overcome misconceptions.…”

Students’ Misconceptions on Titration

“…This phenomena occurs in less meaningful learning as stated by Berg, Cross et al, and Pinarbasi [5,6,7]. Some researches recommend learning has to be plan with the more students active and partisipatory as well as accommodate the multiple representative especially in learning chemistry [3,4,8,9] .The important thing is student has to have a high motivation on learning. Some strategies are recommended by some researchers, such as collaborative [20], problem possed [21], or cognitive dissonance [22].…”

“…The same research of misconceptions on acidsand bases has performed by Demircioglu et al [8]Rahayu et al [9], Damanhuri et al [10], and Tumay [11]. Pan &Henriques [12]at least the six types of misconceptions on acids and bases concepts were proposed.…”

Penerapan Model Pembelajaran Berpusat Siswa Dalam Mengembangkan Keterampilan Proses Sains Dan Pemecahan Masalah Siswa

“…Model Pembelajaran Berpusat Siswa (Designed Student-Centered Instruction) merupakan salah satu pendekatan pembelajaran yang memadukan 3 pendekatan yaitu konstruktivistik, inkuiri dan kontekstual dalam tahapannya (Rahayu, et al, 2011;Rahayu, 2012). Rahayu (2011) Diharapkan hasil penelitian ini dapat digunakan sebagai referensi ilmiah bagi guru kimia dalam menyelenggarakan pembelajaran dan bagi peneliti dalam mengembangkan ilmu dalam pembelajaran kimia.…”