This study aimed to determine the implication of laboratory- based teaching on the chemistry achievements of senior high school students with the end view of proposing a localized laboratory manual in General Chemistry 1 in Bauan National Agricultural and Vocational High School. This study employed sequential mixed method design in identifying the level of the academic performance in General Chemistry 1 and its correlation to the chemistry achievements acquired of forty students of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics academic strand, conducted at Bauan National Agricultural and Vocational High School in the school year 2019- 2020. The calculated reliability value was 0.95 for the chemistry achievements questionnaire and 0.94 for problems encountered in chemistry laboratory questionnaire which means both of them have very high reliability and excellent internal consistency. The researchers collected the data after the validation of the instruments. The data were analyzed by applying descriptive and inferential statistics; different tests were utilized such as the frequency distribution, Pearson-r moment of correlation, percentage, ranking and weighted mean. The findings indicate that students exhibit strong collaborative and communication skills in laboratory settings, further emphasizing the importance of these environments in fostering essential teamwork and leadership abilities. the study underscores the essential role of laboratory-based teaching in bridging the gap between theory and practice, ultimately contributing to the development of well-rounded and competent chemistry students. The study developed a localized laboratory manual to promote laboratory- based teaching of chemistry. Addressing the educational gaps from the results of the study is essential for better preparing students for STEM careers. Future research should expand the sample size, explore diverse educational contexts, and evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed pre-physics module.
Keywords: achievement, chemistry, laboratory, laboratory instruction, localized, manual, performance science, technology, engineering, and mathematics strand, scientific attitude, scientific method, scientific skills, senior high school, teaching
INTRODUCTION
Science has been traditionally defined as a systematized body of knowledge. It is a discipline that encompasses a wide range of fields. The main branches of science are natural science, social science and applied science. In any of these sciences, experimentations are done in order to arrive at a systematized body of knowledge. Today’s vast knowledge is anchored from the breakthroughs and discoveries made by many scientists and inventors from the past. The inventions and discoveries were put into something useful to benefit mankind.
John Dewey’s concept of “learning by doing” justified that science laboratories have a predominant role in teaching and learning process of practical activities in schools. The inclusion of science subjects like biology, chemistry, physics and earth sciences in education call for laboratory- based approach in teaching. Certainly, learners learn best when they are involved and exposed to the real life applications of the scientific concepts and principles learned in schools. Laboratory is a workplace that provides students opportunities to have “hands-on” activities where they discover by themselves the answers to their own scientific queries. Thus, it is a challenge to all educators to have the maximum use of science laboratories in their respective schools. Experimentations during science classes are highly demanded in all levels of students from grade school, junior and senior high school up to collegiate levels.
A branch of natural science, Chemistry, is the central science which occupies a position among all science subjects. Scientific and technological progress of a specific state or nation is impossible without the adequate level of chemistry education. Chemistry as a discipline is experimental in nature. Experimentation is the key to natural sciences like chemistry. Scientists do not just conclude right away without performing intensive and extensive experimentations in their areas of interests. Experimentation involves scientific skills, scientific attitudes, scientific processes and scientific method to test a particular assumption or hypothesis offered to scientific questions.
With the implementation of the Enhanced Basic Education Curriculum by the Department of Education, students under Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics strand are required to take specialized subjects which include Earth Science, General Biology 1 and 2, General Chemistry 1 and 2, and General Physics 1 and 2. Hence, learners are highly expected to have familiarity with the basics in science experiments.
The Philippine education system underperformed among peers in East Asia and the Pacific, the World Bank (WB) said in a report released on Thursday, using the country’s test scores from 2013. The WB report “Growing Smarter: Learning and Equitable Development in East Asia and the Pacific” noted that students in the Philippines, alongside Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand scored below average in international exams under the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). “The Philippines’ scores were below the 400-level. Around 500-level is the average of the wealthier countries,” World Bank chief education specialist Michael Crawford said in a briefing in Taguig City (Cordero, 2015: GMA News).
This low achievement level in sciences of Filipino students, could be attributed to their weak foundations on scientific endeavors like conducting experiments. It has been observed that students do not have sufficient knowledge with the logistics of laboratory practical. Low familiarity with the common laboratory tools and apparatus and their uses and inability to follow laboratory and experimental procedures correctly are but few of the mediocrities exhibited by the learners. This is aggravated further by the fact that most Filipino students have not fully acquired the necessary scientific skills needed in performing laboratory works. Likewise, majority have shown no mastery of the scientific processes required in conducting experimentations. In addition, many of the Filipino learners are not skillful enough in executing the scientific method during laboratory practical. This is despite their exposure to some science activities in their regular science subjects during early grade levels.
Similarly, students cannot perform even simple laboratory experiments because they did not acquire sufficiently the skills and attitudes required to carry out scientific processes. In the same manner, majority of the learners are not properly acquainted with the safety guidelines before, during and after the experiments inside the school laboratories. The teacher- facilitator has to discuss and remind the students many times about the basics of science experiments even if they are already in their senior high school years.
Students in Bauan, Batangas are not excluded from these negative trends in scientific literacy. As observed and agreed upon by science educators during conferences, seminars, open forums, benchmarking and even in simple daily conversations, the number of students showing low academic performance and achievements in science has been alarming the academe. Included in the issue is the learners’ mediocrity in conducting scientific experiments. These should be given attention by the concerned stakeholders to take actions on how to counteract such scientific illiteracy.
Many students aspire to take college courses like engineering, agriculture, pharmacy, medicine, nursing, and other chemistry- related courses. Students have to successfully surpass all the challenges that await them upon taking chemistry as the major subject in their chosen courses. Students who are interested to take science- related programs in college have to enroll themselves under the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics strand. In this particular strand under the Academic Track, senior high school students will be taking up science subjects for two years. In congruence, they will be bombarded with countless experimental works to better learn the subjects.
Public Secondary schools are provided with learners’ materials and teachers’ guides in science subjects. These instructional materials are very advantageous in the teaching- learning process if fully utilized. Significant problems, nonetheless, are being encountered by teachers in terms of laboratory activities incorporated in the learners’ materials and teachers’ guides. Some of the identified difficulties include unavailability of the laboratory materials such as chemical reagents, tools and equipment; procedures are too complex both for students and teachers to execute; and some competencies which require laboratory practical are not provided with experiments. Teachers, therefore, are challenged to offer laboratory practical to students. They have to think of ways on how to cater students’ needs of hands- on learning in science subjects.
Consequently, the researchers developed a localized laboratory manual in General Chemistry 1 to help the students achieve more in chemistry and enjoy laboratory – based sessions. The offshoot of this study contained sets of laboratory activities that would require locally available materials. In addition, to make the manual user- friendly, it included simple yet comprehensive laboratory procedures. The construction of the laboratory manual was based on the content and performance standards stipulated in the curriculum guide of General Chemistry 1 provided by the Department of Education. The results of the findings were highly considered in the development of the activities.
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