Improving Chemistry Students’ Conception of Redox Reactions Using the Participatory Teaching and Learning Approach

Abstract

The study was intended to design and develop the participatory teaching and learning approach (PTLA) to the teaching and learning of oxidation-reduction reactions. The research approach for the study was design-based research, using qualitative and quantitative methods. The design-based research approach consisted of four stages as preliminary, design and development, prototype, and systematic reflection and documentation stages. At the preliminary stage, six teachers and 213 third year students were sampled and at the prototype stage, 15 and simple random sampling procedures. At the preliminary stage, teachers were interviewed on teaching of and the third year students responded to diagnostic test and interviews on conception of oxidation-reduction reactions. The findings show that teachers used unstructured teaching strategies and students showed alternative conceptions and other conceptual difficulties in oxidation-reduction reactions. The PTLA was designed and developed by the researcher and validated by three experts at the design and development stage. At the prototype stage, the 15 students were taught using PTLA which helped improve their conception of oxidation-reduction reactions. It was therefore recommended that the leadership service training to train the school chemistry teachers on using PTLA in teaching chemical concepts.