Student interaction patterns as precursors of acquiring chemistry process skills during quantitative practical lab activities

Abstract

Quantitative analysis is one of the most important secondary school chemistry topics where students can acquire chemistry process skills (CPS) through a series of laboratory activities. Research agrees that student interaction patterns (SIP), like interactions with other students, the teacher, and interfaces, improve online learning effectiveness, but their effectiveness in the acquisition of CPS in face-to-face chemistry labs is not clear. This study examined which interaction patterns students use most to gain CPS in a quantitative analysis chemistry lab. SIP and CPS during lab activities were observed in 197 chemistry students in randomly selected intact classrooms. The observation of students on these variables was evaluated using a 21-item laboratory interaction evaluation scale with a cronbach alpha of 0.84 and Chemistry students process skills observation checklists (CSPSOC). The study found that students interact most with each other in the lab, followed by with teachers, and least with interfaces (apparatus, reagent, and manuals). The relationship between the student-interface interaction pattern and basic CPS (r =.25; p < .01) and integrated CPS (r =.19; p < .01) was significant. The student-teacher interaction pattern predicted the student CPS the most (β = .61; p < .01) and accounted for 36% of the variance. In addition, the combination of student-student and indirect interaction patterns predicted CPS (β = .18; p < .01) and accounted for 39% of the variance. The paper discusses the implications for understanding interactions in a face-to-face laboratory from a cognitive, social, and teaching perspective. [African Journal of Chemical Education—AJCE 13(3), July 2023]