Redesigning Laboratories for Pre-service Chemistry Teachers: From Cookbook Experiments to Inquiry-Based Science, Environment, Technology, and Society Approach

Abstract

Because school laboratory activities obtained by pre-service teachers tend to use cookbook experiments, this study focused on redesigning chemistry laboratory activities at the university level from cookbook experiments to inquiry-based Science, Environment, Technology, and Society (SETS) approach, and analyzing pre-service chemistry teachers‟ performances and their views to the redesigned laboratory activities. Through action research methodology, team teaching was conducted with 20 PCTs by following „Plan-Do-Study-Act‟ (PDSA) Cycle model within „The Course of Laboratory Practice in Basic Chemistry (CLP-BC)‟. Science process skills test (SPST), performance observation sheets (POS), presentation observation sheets (PrOS), self-reflective journals (SRJ), and interviews were used to evaluate the redesigned process. The CLP-BC activities consisted of 16 meetings through two PSDA cycles. The redesigned chemistry laboratory activities included such topics as colligative properties of the solution; chemical equilibrium on solubility; acid-base titration; solubility product; and voltaic cells. The results indicated improvements at the PCTs‟ science process skills, performances in managing laboratory and discussion activities as well as their positive responses at their self-reflective journals.