Designing Experiments on Chemical Kinetics using Common Household Materials: Perspectives of STEM High School Teachers

Abstract

Due to remote learning, chemistry laboratory experiments have been difficult to implement. With this, the study explored the design of experiments on chemical kinetics that can be conducted at home. Seven STEM high school teachers participated in the study and underwent the process of designing the aforementioned experiments. Their experiences showed that they consider material availability in formulating the at-home activities. The design of their experiments underwent several processes: (1) making the flowchart, (2) conducting the pilot test, (3) illustrating the interactions in the particulate level, (4) writing corresponding chemical equations, (5) answering the experiment goal, and (6) finalizing the lab worksheet. In conclusion, high school teachers can design experiments on chemical kinetics and be trained for the macro-micro-symbolic understanding of chemical phenomena and the thorough design process ensures the possibility of implementing these home-based experiments to the students in remote learning. Training on home-based experiment design and development is recommended for schools in the Philippines.