The effect of computer simulation on Grade 11 learners' conceptualisation of stoichiometric chemistry

Abstract

This study, titled The Effect of Computer Simulation on Grade 11 Learners’ Conceptualisation of Stoichiometric Chemistry, was carried out at a school in the Frances Baard District of the Northern Cape province of South Africa. Stoichiometric chemistry is a topic in physical sciences in Grades 10–12 in the South African secondary school curriculum. Poor conceptualisation of the topic by learners and, hence, their failure to apply the concepts to problem-solving in the same and other topics in chemistry, cause concern. The study was conducted with the theoretical framework of activity theory. The study employed a mixed method design that consisted of a pre-test post-test experimental design, a questionnaire and interviews. Two Grade 11 physical sciences classes were involved in the study, one as a control group of 30 learners and the other as an experimental group of 32 learners. Both groups were taught stoichiometric chemistry after the SCAT pre-test. The experimental group obtained an intervention comprising computer simulations during teaching, while the control group was taught using the lecture method. After the post-test was written, a questionnaire was distributed to all learners, and interviews were conducted with six learners of each group. The ANOVA that was performed shows that learners of the control and experimental groups were comparable in terms of prior knowledge of the topic of stoichiometric chemistry. The paired t-test shows that both groups improved their performance in stoichiometric chemistry. However, the ANCOVA results show that the experimental group had a greater improvement in performance than the control group. The results of the qualitative test response analysis of the SCAT post-test, questionnaire and interviews show that the experimental group conceptualised stoichiometric chemistry better than the control group. The quantitative and qualitative data was triangulated, and it also indicated that the experimental group conceptualised stoichiometric chemistry better than the control group.