Impact of virtual chemistry laboratory instruction on pre-service science teachers' scientific process skills


Mutlu A., Sesen B. A.

ERPA International Congresses on Education (ERPA), Athens, Greece, 4 - 07 June 2015, vol.26 identifier

  • Publication Type: Conference Paper / Full Text
  • Volume: 26
  • Doi Number: 10.1051/shsconf/20162601088
  • City: Athens
  • Country: Greece
  • Istanbul University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the impact of virtual chemistry laboratory instruction on pre-service science teachers' scientific process skills. For this purpose, eight laboratory activities related to chemical kinetic, chemical equilibrium, thermochemistry, acids-bases, and electrochemistry were developed. Those activities were performed in virtual laboratory environment by the pre-service teachers in the experimental group and in the real laboratory environment by c the pre-service teachers in the control group during eight weeks. Scientific process skills test developed by Burns, Okey and Wise [3], and translated into Turkish by Ates and Bahar [2] was used before and after the instructions for data collection. According to results, while there was no significant difference between pre-test mean scores (U=133.500, p>0.05), significant difference between post-test mean scores was found in favour of experimental group (U= 76.000, p<0.05). In addition, while no significant difference between pre-test mean scores for each sub-dimension was found, significant difference between post-test mean scores for designing investigation and formulating hypothesis skills was found in favour of experimental group.