A Chemistry Lesson for Citizenship: Students’ Use of Different Perspectives in Decision-Making about the Use and Sale of Laughing Gas

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore how the design of this chemistry lesson for citizenship influences students’ use of different perspectives in decision-making about ‘the use and sale of laughing gas’. In this study, ‘the use and sale of laughing gas among youth’ was chosen as a socio-scientific issue. This chemistry lesson for citizenship was designed according to the 5E instructional approach, and activating pedagogical methods and tools (i.e., group discussion, reading the information cards, taking notes, watching instructional videos) were used. Both the types of perspectives used and the effectiveness of the pedagogies implemented were explored. Twenty-three students from two classes participated in the study. The data were collected through five tools (four worksheets and a questionnaire). The students mainly used ‘scientist’ perspective by focusing on what research says about the possible consequences of inhaling laughing gas. The students also focused on ‘health’; principally, they referred to the relation between the amount of laughing gas used and the damage it may cause. As to the influential pedagogical elements of the lesson, the ‘videos’ were found to be the most effective and informative. In addition, the ‘group discussion’ was also found to be an influential activity of the lesson on making decisions about the use and sale of laughing gas. Therefore, our results suggest that the lesson design supported the students to recognize and use different perspectives to make informed decisions about the sale and use of laughing gas.

A Systematic Review of the Research Papers on Chemistry-Focused Socio-Scientific Issues

“…As seen from Table S2 (see Supplementary Material), the aims of the research papers consisted of five different codes, whose percentages ranged from 4.6 to 38.5. A high frequency for the first code (see Table S2) may result from common features of SSI that directly trigger or influence such competencies as argumentation, reflective judgment, decision making, and informal reasoning (e.g., Bayram-Jacobs et al, 2019;Karışan et al, 2017;Wiyarsi & Çalik, 2019). The second code may come from mostly preferred common variables, i.e., conceptual understanding, attitude, critical thinking (e.g., Çalık et al, 2015).…”

“…Likewise, through the present-intrinsic and extrinsic components of societal dimension, the research papers seem to have promoted the participants to find their own places in society (e.g., becoming a scientifically literate person) and learn how to behave in society (Stuckey et al, 2013). For example, students are able to defend their own decisions/arguments about any regulation of the use of shale gas (Bayram et al, 2019;Mollinati & Simmoneu, 2015). Their arguments/decisions may lead them to find their own places in society and learn how to defend their own views of chemistry-focused SSI (Stuckey et al, 2013).…”

Students’ Use of Open-Minded Attitude and Elaborate Talk in Group Discussion and Role-Playing Debate on Socioscientific Issues

“…Moreover, relationships between different forms of classroom interaction and students' learning outcomes have been explored. In science education research, students' learning outcomes have concerned, for example, the understanding of subject matter (Alexopoulou & Driver, 1996;Mercer et al, 2004), the development of argumentation skills (Agell et al, 2015;Belova et al, 2015;Simonneaux, 2001), and the ability to make informed decisions on complex socioscientific issues (Bayram-Jacobs et al, 2019;Zeidler & Schafer, 1984). However, few studies have assessed the quality of both students' interactions and students' learning outcomes.…”

Chemistry Lesson Plan Design and Teaching: A Case Study of Senior Secondary Schools in the Urban Regions of the Gambia

“…Although curriculum alignment may theoretically inform the need for core competencies, the appropriate practice can be informed through lesson plan study and Teaching (Margarita & Rodriguez, 2007;Roxana, 2018). According to Bayram-Jacobs et al, (2019), lesson plans activate pedagogical methods to influence chemistry teaching and learning and encourage students to think critically through engagement and participation. In this regard, the exploratory study is proposed to assess current practices in chemistry education, particularly on acids, bases, and salts, which are challenging for students to apply critical thinking in The Gambia (Chief Examiner's Report [ CER], 2017[ CER], -2019.…”