Impact of Collaboration on Male and Female Students’ Comprehension of Electrochemistry
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Date
2019-03-27
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University of Ghana
Abstract
This study reports on research findings on the effect of collaboration on male and female learners’ comprehension of electrochemistry concepts in the Ximhungwe circuit of the Bohlabela district in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. The theoretical frame work of this study is rooted in Posner et al’s Accommodation of a Scientific Conception: Toward a Theory of Conceptual Change. This theory strongly proves that learning is a social process and communication facilitates learning. Conceptual change is interpreted as what actual knowledge the group collectively produces and agrees upon. An intact sample of 47 12th grade physical sciences learners from two public schools in the circuit participated in the study. One of the schools was a high achieving school (HAS) and the other a low achieving school (LAS) as was classified by the Department of Education, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. Learners were given electrochemistry concept test (ECT) and Chemistry Classroom Environment Questionnaire (CCEQ) as pre-test and post-test. After the treatment using a self-designed conceptual change teaching strategy of collaboration, ANCOVA conducted on post-test scores of the learners showed that there was no significant mean difference between male and female learners in their comprehension of electrochemistry concepts. Similarly, there was no significant interaction effect between gender and treatment. However, Pearson Product-Moment Correlation revealed that there was moderately positive relationship between achievement and learners’ perception of their chemistry classroom environment. The findings suggest that collaboration was equally effective for both males and females.
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Seminar
Keywords
Collaboration, Male, Female, Comprehension