Teaching Science
Teacher Student Relationship and Impacts on Academic Performance of Science Education
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Inyang Maurice Asuquo
The study sought to determine the impact of teacher-student relationship and academic performance of science education students in University of Calabar, Nigeria. Apart from the inadequate performances of science education students, teacher-student relationship is an important factor which can positively or negatively affect their performance. Two relevant theories and literature were reviewed. Two null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The study adopted the correlation research type of an “ex-post facto” design. Appropriately developed and validated instrument comprising Teacher-student relationship questionnaire (TSRQ) and Science education student performance scores were validated with acceptable indices. The research instrument was administered to 200 randomly sampled year 2 science education students. The resulting data were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Analysis. The findings revealed that positive teacher-student relationship influence students’ learning/academic performance, especially in science education. Based on the findings and conclusion it was recommended among others teachers should create classroom environments that promote positive cultures with healthy interactions that can motivate students to learn more.
High School Students’ Learning Difficulties in Brønsted-Lowry Acid-Base Theory
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Huei Lee, Hung Jen Yeh, Chia-Ling Chiang
The definitions of acid and based had changed several times in one hundred years. Nowadays, many students need to learn two different acid-base theories during high schools: Arrhenius theory and Brønsted-Lowry theory. The purpose of this study was to understand high school students’ learning difficulties in learning Brønsted-Lowry theory, especially focusing on the transfer from Arrhenius definition to Brønsted-Lowry definition. Data were gathered using diagnostic assessment. There are 65 items in the assessment, including the concepts of conjugate acid-base pair, Brønsted-Lowry definition, amphoterism, acid-base equilibrium in aqueous solution, and buffers. The instrument was administered to 117 students of 11th grade who had learned Arrhenius theory only, and 188 students of 12th grade who had learned both Arrhenius theory and Brønsted-Lowry theory. The result shows that even students have learned Brønsted-Lowry theory, they do not completely transfer their acid-base paradigm from Arrhenius to Brønsted-Lowry. Instead. They preferred to combine these two theories and tried to use the compromised ideas in new situations. Students could understand Brønsted-Lowry definition which is about donating and accepting of protons, but they could not really catch the meaning of relative strengths of acids and bases. To avoid mistakes, they chose to solve problems by Arrhenius theory which they have already known well. In other words, when students are unfamiliar to used Brønsted-Lowry definition to think and solve problems in new situations, they may have difficulties in learning other related concepts, such as conjugate acid-base pair, amphoterism, acid-base equilibrium in aqueous solution, and buffers.
Students’ Conceptions of Metal and Non-Metal and the Influence of Group Interaction on Conceptual Construction
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Chia-Ling Chiang, Li Yin Lin, Huei Lee
Students have alternative conceptions about metal and non-metal before learning in schools. The purpose of this study is to understand the junior high students’ conceptions of metal and non-metal and how group interaction affects their conceptual construction during discussing with peers. Twenty-six students of 8th grade in one class participated in this study. They were grouped to eight small groups and familiar with group discussion in the science class. They took two-tier diagnostic tests of metal and non-metal as a pre- test followed by several group discussions then by a post-test. Besides, six students of two groups were especially observed and analyzed qualitatively: one was heterogeneous achievement group and the other was homogeneous high achievement group. The results indicate that students' conceptions of metal and non-metal are related to the language, daily life experiences, and the element’s position in the periodic table. In addition, the different structures of peer status in heterogeneous and homogeneous groups were associated with different ways of group discussion. Meanwhile, the ways of group discussion were associated with how groups reached consensus and then led to the group members’ conceptual construction. When group interaction went equally, students in both homogeneous and heterogeneous groups tended to have positive learning outcome. However, when group interaction went unequally, especially in the heterogeneous group, the low-status students could not construct correct conceptions. Finally, even peer status in homogeneous high achievement group was the same at beginning, but students automatically differentiated peer status at the end of the study.
Teaching Science through Literature: Focus on Victorian Science Fiction
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Jae Uk Choo
There are so many scientific themes in the literary works that literature can be a good tool to teach with. For example, Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, deals with medicine, physiology, chemistry, physics, and others. In this paper, many Victorian and modern novels will be quoted and analyzed to show how to teach various scientific disciplines and the history of the sciences. In other words, a pedagogical methodology will be suggested to teach the history and knowledge of the sciences through the storytelling of the literary contents.
