NOTE FOR EDITOR: Reflective Approach In Teaching Pre-Degree Chemistry

Year 2009, Volume: 10 Issue: 2, 9 - 23, 01.06.2009

Venkateswara Rao Samrajya Lakshmı Andhra Pradesh

Abstract

The study is a component of a larger investigation that focuses on exemplary practice in chemistry education. This case study involves an investigation of a chemistry teacher in two years intermediate education in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India. The study utilized an interpretive methodology in which the questions emerged from intensive observations of chemistry lessons in classes taught by a teacher. The principal finding was that a teacher focused on teaching for understanding. Once teacher tended to emphasize whole-class activities while the other times he utilized more small-group and individualized activities. The teacher was successful in his goal of teaching for understanding because he was effective classroom manager and he had strong science content knowledge that enabled him to focus on instructional strategies that facilitated student understanding. He asked appropriate questions, responded to student questions, and used effective cognitive monitoring strategies. The teacher was able to teach effectively because he had adequate content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. Researcher adopted the method of action research to class room teaching where a classroom event triggers the process of reflection followed by critical analysis of the event which leads to change and subsequent reflection to observe that change and so on. He has taken two different texts to teach students. Out of two texts, one is explaining the metallurgy of Magnesium. In that case, he was successful as a teacher when he adopted comparative method of teaching metallurgy of Magnesium rather than the traditional method of teaching. The other one is explaining the properties of Hydrogen peroxide. In this case he was successful as a teacher by adopting discussion, interaction and discussion method.

Keywords

Chemical Education, Reflective Practice, Metallurgy of Magnesium, Chemical Properties of Hydrogen Peroxide

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