Enhancing Undergraduates’ Conceptual Understanding of Organic Acid-base-neutral Extraction Using Inquiry-based Experiments

摘要

The inclusion of an inquiry-based learning approach in chemistry laboratories has been advocated highly in the last three decades to improve students’ conceptual content knowledge and the process of inquiry learning. Two 3-hour experiments involving acidbase extraction and purification were implemented for 63 students enrolled inOrganic Chemistry Lab IIin 2010. Students were asked to separate each compound from a mixture of benzoic acid,p-nitroaniline, and naphthalene, and to purify each compound in an appropriate condition. Paired-samples t-test analysis indicated that the students obtained post-achievement scores for the conceptual test, the experimental procedure diagram, and the mental models of acid-based extraction process statistically higher than pre-experiment scores atp-value less than 0.001. Although most students had planned their experiments carefully, some students still accommodated alternative conceptions in their mental models. However, most of them could correct their alternative conceptions to the scientific consensus after experiencing the inquiry-based experiment. It is advisable to implement inquiry experiments for at least a few semesters to investigate students’ progression with science inquiry and process skills.