An Investigation on Chemistry Problem-Solving Strategy of Middle School Student

중학생의 화학 문제해결 전략 조사

The purpose of this study was to determine the strategies that middle school students used in solving problems concerning density and solubility. These were compared in the aspects of problem contexts for 42 students of varying logical reasoning ability, spatial ability, and learning approach. A coding scheme used consists of five categories: reading & organization, production, errors, evaluation, and strategy. Students' protocols were analyzed after intercoder agreement had been established to be .95. The results were as follows: 1. Students had more difficulties in reading and organizing the problems in everyday contexts than in scientific contexts. Students at the concrete-operational stage and / or surface approach were more likely to have difficulties in reading and organizing the problems than those at the formal-operational stage and / or deep approach. 2. Students tended to split up the solubility problems into sub-problems and to solve the density problem in everyday contexts in random manner. These were significantly correlated with the test scores concerning logical reasoning ability, spatial ability, and learning approach at the .1 level of significance. 3. Major errors in solving the density problems were to disregard the given information or generated and to use inappropriate information. Many errors in solving the solubility problems were found to be executive errors. The strategy to use the information given appropriately was positively related to students' logical reasoning ability, spatial ability, and learning approach. 4. More evaluation strategies were found in everyday contexts. Their strategies to grasp the meaning of answers and to check the math were significantly related to students' logical reasoning ability. 5. Students used the random trial-and-error strategy more than the systematic strategy and the systematic trial-and-error strategy, especially in everyday contexts. The strategies used by the students were significantly related to students' logical reasoning ability, spatial ability, and learning approach.