Effect of Instruction Based on REACT Strategy: ‘Water Treatment and Water Hardness’

Abstract

Nowadays, it is of great importance to associate the subjects of the course with daily life. The REACT strategy, which is one of the applications of the context-based learning approach, establishes a relationship between course subjects and real life, thus it contributes to more clearly, more understandable, more interesting and concretization of the subjects. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of a teaching material developed based on REACT model on grade 10 students’ conceptual understanding, perceptions of inquiry learning skills and attitudes. In this study, quasi-experimental design was used. The research sample consisted of a total of 68 students, 34 were assigned into the experimental group while remaining 34 were assigned into the control group, at Anatolian high school. As data collection tools, “Inquiry Learning Skills Perception Scale”, “Chemistry Attitude Scale” and “Conceptual Understanding Test” that prepared by researchers were used. However, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 students that 9 students were at the experimental group and 9 students were at the control group. According to the data obtained, while the REACT strategy resulted in a significant difference in students' conceptual understanding, and inquiry skills but didn’t resulted in a significant difference in students' chemistry attitudes.

Keywords: Context based learning approach, REACT strategy, Water treatment and Water hardness

DOI: 10.7176/JSTR/5-2-13