MODELING TEACHING IN STUDY OF GALVANIC CELLS: UPPER-SECONDARY SCHOOL CONTEXT

Abstract

Besides improving students' understanding of scientific concepts, chemistry teaching should also improve students' ability of applying concepts to solve problems. The research aims to explore the effects of modeling teaching on students’ proficiency in solving galvanic cell problems. This research used a quasi-experimental design, and the independent variable of the research was the teaching method. Forty-five students in the experimental class received modeling teaching, and 48 students in the control class received lecture-style teaching. The dependent variable was the performance level of the student's ability to solve the problem of the galvanic cell, which was evaluated using the galvanic cell proficiency assessment tool. The research results show that the students in the experimental class were significantly more proficient in solving galvanic cell problems than those in the control class. The results of unstructured interviews assisted in illustrating the role of modeling teaching in improving the proficiency of students in solving galvanic cell problems, and students in the experimental class had positive views on modeling teaching. Keywords: galvanic cells, modeling teaching, problem solving, proficiency level