The Effect of Guided Inquiry
Laboratory on
Conceptual Understanding
Miha Lee
California State University, Northridge
STUDENTS' PRECONCEPTIONS ABOUT METALS’
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Codes
a
Concept
matter that conduct (heat) and electricity
b
matter that has malleability and ductility
c
d
matter that has metallic luster
matter in a solid state at room temperature
e
matter that has free electrons
f
matter that is dense and hard
g
matter that has crystal structure of atoms
h
matter that has magnetism
i
matter that is like iron
STUDENTS' CONCEPTS
ABOUT METALS’ CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
Codes
Concept
1
elements that readily lose electrons to form cations
2
3
elements that has metallic bond between cations and free
electrons
elements that are likely to be oxidized (rusted)
4
elements that react with acids generating hydrogen gas
5
elements that react with water generating hydrogen gas
6
elements that are placed at the lower left on the periodic table.
7
elements composed of cations that are solidified
8
elements that are strongly reactive
9
elements that have strong reducing ability
10
elements become basic when dissolved in water
Overall Change of Concepts
80.00
70.00
Only chemical
concepts
% of students
60.00
both physical and
50.00
chemical properties
40.00
only physical
30.00
properties
20.00
blank
10.00
0.00
pretest
Formative test 1
Formative test 2
posttest
Distirubution of Concept a, a1, and 1
100
97 61%
90
80
37%
70
59
60
# of students
28%
45
50
a
34
40
15%
24
30
20
10
3
6
11
11
1
11
4
0
Pretest
Activity1
Activity2
Test
Posttest
a1
1
Conceptual Change of 97 Students who had Only
Concepts A in the Pretest
36
40
30
35
30
25
22
alternative
15
# of students 20
15
10
9
8 7
0
5
3
0
Activity1
Activity2
Posttest
alternative + chemistry
chemistry
Evolution of Concepts of 24 Students who had Only
Chemistry Concepts (1) in the Posttest
# of students
16
15
alternative
14
alternative+chemistry
12
chemistry
10
8
4
6
4
2
8
7
3
0
3
0
1
0
Pretest
Activity1
Activity2
Test
Students’ Concept of Metal
in the summative test
Choice number
1
2
Correct answer with
91.08%
3
4
5
Students’ concept about metal’s
properties in the summative test
Choice Number
Correct answer with 85.99%
1
2
3
4
5
Students’ achievement on the formative tests
in each activity
# of Students who % of Students who
achieved the goal of achieved the goal
each activity
of each activity
Activity 1
133
84.18
Activity 2
156
98.73
Activity 3
157
100
Activity 4
147
93.04
Percentage of Correct Answer
for Each Item
With Average 95.11
90.11%
96.00
94.98
94.00
Percentage(%)
92.00
91.70
90.00
88.02
88.00
86.72
86.00
84.13
84.00
82.00
80.00
78.00
1
2
3
4
Item Number
5
6
When does understanding take place?
44.94
45
40
35
25.95
30
25
% of students
20
15
10
10.76
10.76
5.06
5
0
During the
During
activities
the lecture
During
After
the the
testactivities
preparation Cannot
After the
understand
course
Alreadyyet
knew before the course
Students' Perception about Contribution
of Activities to Conceptual
Understanding
65.75
70
60
50
31.75
40
# of students
30
20
11.5
24.5
20.5
10
0
Strongly disagree
disagree
Neither agree
nor disagree
agree
Strongly agree
The Most Important Strength of Inquiry
Laboratory
%
o
f
40
35
30
35.06
31.17
25.97
17.53
25
s
t
u
d
20
15
10
e
5
n
0
t
s
9.74 7.14
0.65 1.95 0.65
Limitations of Inquiry Laboratory
44.16%
45.00%
40.00%
35.00%
20.13% 19.48%
30.00%
% of students
25.00%
20.00%
6.49%
15.00%
10.00%
5.00%
0.00%
Hard to
Hard to
The activities Troublesome
grasp the
manage the
were
meaning of
classroom
inefficient to
activity
environment
learn.
& bothering