STUDENTS’ INTEREST TO USAGE OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY IN DAILY LIFE

Abstract

It is known that interest is the most important factor which effect students‟ achievements and attainment of knowledge. The aim of this study is to explore the high school students‟ interest towards to usage of organic chemistry in daily life. The data for this survey study was collected through a questionnaire containing 27 Likert- type items ranging from 1 (low) to 4 (high). The items were formed by taking the use of organic chemistry in daily life into consideration to determine the levels of stu- dents‟ interest. Participants were 505 ninth, tenth and eleventh grade students, 229 of them were girls and 276 of them were boys. According to results, students have the highest interest in “the mummification techniques used in preserving corpses in Egypt”. However the lowest interest rates were shown in “what antifreeze is? and how it acts?”. Although the highest interest was found in science major students, there was no statistically significant difference between these students and the other students. The results of the present study can be used in the development of curricu- lum and/or in the design of the text content.

Keywords

• Student‟s interest
• daily life
• organic chemistry

ÖĞRENCİLERİN GÜNLÜK YAŞAMDA ORGANİK KİMYANIN KULLANIMINA İLGİLERİ

Abstract

İlginin öğrencilerin başarılarını ve bilgi kazanmalarını etkileyen en önemli faktör olduğu bilinmektedir. Bu çalışmanın amacı lise öğrencilerinin organik kimyanın günlük yaşamda kullanımına olan ilgilerini incelemektir. Bu tarama çalışması için gerekli veriler likert türü 27 maddeden oluşan anketten elde edilmiştir. Anket maddeleri organik kimyanın günlük yaşamda kullanılmasının göz önünde bulundurulması ile oluşturulmuştur. Çalışmanın örneklemini 8., 9. ve 10. sınıftaki 229 u kız ve 276 sı erkek olan toplam 505 öğrenci oluşturmaktadır. Öğrencilerin cevaplarından elde edilen sonuçlara göre “Mısır da cesetleri korumada kullanılan mumyalama tekniği” ilgi düzeyinin en yüksek olduğu anket maddesidir. Bununla birlikte “antifriz nedir ve nasıl çalışır?” ilgi düzeyinin en düşük olduğu anket maddesidir. Fen bilimleri alanındaki öğrencilerin ilgisinin en yüksek olmasına rağmen bu öğrencilerle diğer öğrenciler arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı farklılık yoktur. Mevcut çalışmanın sonuçları program geliştirilmesinde ya da ders kitaplarının oluşturulmasında kullanılabilir.

Keywords

• Öğrenci ilgisi
• günlük yaşam
• organik kimya

References

1. Barker, V., Millar, R. (1999). Students‟ reasoning about chemical reactions: What changes occur during a context-based post-16 chemistry course?, Interna- tional Journal of Science Education, 21(6), 645–665.
2. Beaver, B. (1999). Motivating Students in Sophomore Organic Chemistry by Ex- amining Nature's Way-Why Are Vitamins E and C Such Good Antioxi- dants? Journal of Chemical Education, 76(8),1108-1112.
3. Bennett, J., Holman, J. (2002). Context-based approaches to the teaching of chemi- stry: what are they and what are their effects?, in: J. K. Gilbert, O. De Jong,
4. R. Justi, D. F. Treagust, and J. H. Van Driel (Eds.) Chemical education: Towards research-based practice, pp. 165–184. Dordrecht, the Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Press.
5. Bennett, J., Gräsel, C., Parchmann, I., Waddington, D. (2005). Context-based and conventional approaches to teaching chemistry: Comparing teachers‟ views, International Journal of Science Education, 27(13), 1521–1547.
6. Bennett, J., Lubben, F. (2006). Context-based chemistry: The salters approach. In- ternational Journal of Science Education, 28(9), 999–1015.
7. Bennett, J., Lubben, F., Hogarth S. (2007). Bringing science to life: A synthesis of the research evidence on the effects of context-based and sts approaches to science teaching. Science Education, 91(3), 347–370.
8. Bloch, D. R. (2006). Organic Chemistry Demystified, The McGraw-Hill Companies, New York, p.xvii.

9. Bulunuz, M. (2007). Development of interest in science and interest in teaching ele- mentary science: influence of informal, school, and inquiry methods course experiences. Doctoral dissertation. Georgia State University. http://etd.gsu.edu/ theses/available/etd-12122006-150931/
10. Bulunuz, M. (2008). Development of positive interest and attitudes toward science and interest in teaching elementary science: influence of inquiry methods course experiences. Paper presented at TEPE conference, 21-23 February, 2008, Ljubljana.
11. Coenders, F., Terlouw, C., Dijkstra, S., Pieters, J. (2010). The Effects of the Design and Development of a Chemistry Curriculum Reform on Teachers‟ Profes- sional Growth: A Case Study. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 21(5), 235-557.
12. Dervişoglu, S., Yaman, M., Soran, H. (2004). Evaluating the interest of high school students in biology lessons and biology subjects. Hacettepe University Journal of Education 27, 67-23.
13. Dewey, J. (1913). Interest and effort in education. Boston, New York and Chicago: Houghton Mifflin Company.
14. Gilbert, J. K. (2006). On the nature of „context‟ in chemical education. International Journal of Science Education, 28(9), 957–976.
15. Gutwill-Wis, J. P. (2001). The impact of active and context-based learning in intro- ductory chemistry courses: An early evaluation of the modular approach. Journal of Chemical Education, 78(5), 684–690.
16. Hansen, K. H. (1999). A qualitative assessment of student interest in science educa- tion. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 25, 399-414.
17. Hidi, S., Harackiewicz, J. M. (2000). Motivating academically unmotivated: A criti-
18. st
19. cal issue for 21
20. century. Review of Educational Research, 70, 151-179.
21. Holman, J., Pilling, G. (2004). Thermodynamics in context: A case study of contex- tualized teaching for undergraduates. Journal of Chemical Education, 81(3), 373–375.
22. Ilhan, N. (2010). Kimyasal denge konusunun öğrenilmesinde yaşam temelli (context based) öğretim yaklaşımının etkisi. Yayınlanmamış Doktora Tezi, Atatürk Üniversitesi, Türkiye.
23. Krapp, A., Hidi, S., Renninger, K. A. (1992). Interest, learning, and development. In
24. K. A. Renninger, S. Hidi, and A. Krapp (Eds.) The role of interest in learn- ing and development (pp. 3-25). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Asso- ciates.
25. Lavonen, J., Byman, R., Juuti, K., Meisalo, V., and Uitto, A. (2005). Pupil interest in physics: a survey in Finland. NorDiNa, Nordic Studies in Science Educa- tion, 2, 72-85.
26. McMillan, J. H., Schumacher, S. (2006). Research in education: Evidence-based inquiry (sixth Edition), Boston, Pearson Education.
27. Nentwig, P., Parchmann, I., Demuth, R., Gräsel, C., and Ralle, B. (2005). Chemie im Kontext-from situated learning in relevant contexts to a systematic develop- ment of basic chemical concepts. In P. Nentwig, and D. Waddington (Eds.)
28. Making it relevant. Context-based learning of science (s.155–173). Mun- chen, Germany: Waxmann.
29. Nieswandt, M. (2007). Student Affect and Conceptual Understanding in Learning Chemistry. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 44(7), 908–937.
30. Osborne, J. F., Collins, S. (2001). Pupils' views of the role and value of the science curriculum: a focus-group study, International Journal of Science Educa- tion, 23, 5, 441–468.
31. Qian, Z. (2004). Using contemporary teaching and learning strategies in organic chemistry teaching. The China Papers, July, 39-43.
32. Ramsden, J. M. (1997). How does a context-based approach influence understanding of key chemical ideas at 16+?. International Journal of Science Education, 19(6), 697–710.
33. Renninger, K. A. (2008). Interest and motivation in informal science learning. http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bose/Renninger_Commissioned_Paper. pdf