Journal of the Serbian Chemical Society 2023 Volume 88, Issue 3, Pages: 343-354
https://doi.org/10.2298/JSC211126083S
Full text (
2044 KB)
Do Serbian high school students possess knowledge of basic chemical facts related to real life as a prerequisite for chemical literacy?
Stašević Filip 
(University of Kragujevac, Faculty of Science, Kragujevac, Serbia)
Miletić Nasta (Gymnasium Kosovska Mitrovica, Kosovska Mitrovica, Serbia)
Đurđević-Nikolić Jelena (University of Kragujevac, Faculty of Science, Kragujevac, Serbia), [email protected]
Gutman Ivan (Gymnasium Kosovska Mitrovica, Kosovska Mitrovica, Serbia)
For a long time, literacy has had a deeper meaning than just the ability of reading and writing. Chemical literacy, as a part of science literacy, represents the use of chemical knowledge and skills in solving real life problems. With the increasing influence that chemistry has on society, chemical literacy becomes one of the main goals of science education. In order to examine the knowledge of chemical facts related to real life (as a prerequisite for chemical literacy) of high school students (N = 379), we designed a knowledge test and constructed a scoring scale for evaluating achievements. The obtained results are contrary to expectations, i.e., a large number of students did not achieve a satisfactory level of knowing selected chemical facts chosen by the authors. The small number of correct answers per question indicates that the examined sample of students does not show a desirable level of chemical knowledge, implying that there is a need for new, improved strategies in chemistry teaching.
Keywords: chemistry teaching, students’ achievements, basic chemical knowledge
Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. 451-03-68/2022-14/200122 and Grant no. 451-03-01330/2020-14/2787
Show references
B. V. Street, Literacy in Theory and Practice, Cambridge University Press, New York, 1984
P. Turiman, J. Omar, A. Mohd Daud, K. Osman, Proc. Soc. Behav. Sci. 59 (2012) 110 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.09.253)
L. Verhoeven, in: Encyclopedia of Language and Education. Encyclopedia of Language and Education Vol. 2, V. Edwards, D. Corson, Eds., Springer, Dordrecht, 1997 (https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4540-4_14)
N. Feinstein, Sci. Ed. 95 (2011) 168 (https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.20414)
S. Livingstone, Commun. Rev. 7 (2010) 3 (https://doi.org/10.1080/10714420490280152)
D. Bawden, in: Digital Literacies: Concepts, Policies and Practices, C. Lankshear, M. Knobel, Eds., Peter Lang, New York, 2008 (ISBN: 1433101696)
C. A. Cassel, C. C. Lo, Polit. Behav. 19 (1997) 317 (https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024895721905)
R. C. Laugksch, Sci. Ed. 84 (2000) 71 (https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1098- 237X(200001)84:1<71::AID-SCE6>3.0.CO;2-C)
W. Graber, P. Nentwig, H. Becker, E. Sumfleth, A. Pitton, K. Wollweber, D. Jorde, in: Research in Science Education - Past, Present, and Future, H. Behrendt, Ed., Springer, Dordrecht, 2001 (https://doi.org/10.1007/0-306-47639-8_6)
S. Avargil, O. Herscovitz, Y. J. Dori, Think. Skills Creat. 10 (2013) 189 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2013.07.008)
Y. Shwartz, R. Ben-Zvi, A. Hofstein, J. Chem. Educ. 83 (2006) 1557 (https://doi.org/10.1021/ed083p1557)
R. M. Hazen, J. S. Trefil, J. Chem. Educ. 68 (1991) 392 (https://doi.org/10.1021/ed068p392)
R. W. Missen, W. R. Smith, J. Chem. Educ. 66 (1989) 217 (https://doi.org/10.1021/ed066p217)
Y. Shwartz, R. Ben-Zvi, A. Hofstein, Chem. Educ. Res. Pract. 7 (2006) 203 (https://doi.org/10.1039/B6RP90011A)
M. K. Serry, C. McDonnell, Chem. Educ. Res. Pract. 14 (2013) 227 (https://doi.org/10.1039/C3RP90006A)
Z. Kohen, O. Herscovitz, Y. J. Dori, Chem. Educ. Res. Pract. 21 (2020) 250 (https://doi.org/10.1039/c9rp00134d)
P. E. Childs, S. M. Hayes, A. O’Dwyer, in: Relevant Chemistry Education, I. Eilks, A. Hofstein, Eds., SensePublishers, Rotterdam, 2015 (https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6300- 175-5_3)
J. C. Besley, A. Dudo, M. Storksdieck, J. Res. Sci. Teach. 52 (2015) 199 (https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21186)
T. Brown, H. E. LeMay, B. E. Bursten, Chemistry the Central Science, 8th ed., Prentice Hall, Hoboken, NJ, 2015 (ISBN: 0130103101)
P. Karvankova, D. Popjakova, Int. J. Sci. Educ. 40 (2018) 702 (https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2018.1442598)
Curriculum for high schools, vocational schools and adult education, Official Gazette, Belgrade, Serbia, https://zuov.gov.rs/zakoni-i-pravilnici, accessed 9.3.2022 (in Serbian)
General standards of achievement for the end of general secondary education and upbringing and secondary vocational education and education in the field of general education subjects for the subject - Сhemistry, Institute for the Evaluation of the Quality of Education, Belgrade, 2013 (https://ceo.edu.rs/стандарди-у-образовању), (accessed 8.3.2022) (in Serbian)
D. Trivić, Hemijski Pregled 51 (2010) 148 (in Serbian)
K. Eriksson, O. Helenius, A. Ryve, Instr. Sci. 47 (2019) 1 (https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-018-9473-1)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), http://nces.ed.gov/TIMSS/ (accessed 13.9.2021)
M. O. Martin, I. V. S. Mullis, P. Foy, G. M. Stanco, TIMSS 2011 International Results in Science, TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 2012
M. O. Martin, I. V. S. Mullis, P. Foy, M. Hooper, TIMSS 2015 International Results in Science, TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 2016
I. Đerić, N. Gutvajn, S. Jošić, N. Ševa, National report TIMSS 2019 in Serbia, Institute for pedagogical investigations, Belgrade, 2020 (ISBN 978-86-7447-153-1) (in Serbian)
V. F. Savec, B. Urankar, M. Aksela, I. Devetak, J. Serb. Chem. Soc. 82 (2017) 1193 (https://doi.org/10.2298/JSC161221083S)
P. J. Fensham, W. Harlen, Int. J. Sci. Educ. 21 (1999) 755 (https://doi.org/10.1080/095006999290417)
W. Harlen, Stud. Sci. Educ. 36 (2011) 79 (https://doi.org/10.1080/03057260108560168)
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD-PISA), Assessment of scientific literacy in the OECD / Pisa project, http://www.pisa.oecd.org/ (accessed 13.9.2021)
J. Korolija, S. Rajić, M. Tošić, Lj. Mandić, J. Serb. Chem. Soc. 80 (2015) 1567 (https://doi.org/10.2298/JSC150522072K)
M. Videnović, G. Čaprić, PISA 2018 Report for the Republic Serbia, Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia, Belgrade, 2020 (in Serbian)
E. McCrum-Gardner, Br. J. Oral Maxillofac. Surg. 46 (2008) 38 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjoms.2007.09.002)
H. W. Kruskal, A. W. Wallis, J. Am. Stat. Assoc. 47 (1952) 583 (https://doi.org/10.2307/2280779)
D. Trivić, R. Jankov, M. Ranđelović, V. Vukotić, M. Marković, R. Kovačević, M. Nikolić, Educational standards for the end of compulsory education for the subject - chemistry, Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia, Belgrade, 2010 (ISBN 978-86-86715-22-7) (in Serbian)
General standards of achievements for the end of general secondary and secondary vocational education and upbringing in the part of general education subjects for the subject - Сhemistry, Handbook for teachers, Institute for the Evaluation of the Quality of Education and Upbringing, Belgrade, 2015 (ISBN 978-86-86715-55-5) (in Serbian)
T. Hrin, D. Milenković, M. Segedinac, Chem. Educ. Res. Pract. 19 (2018) 305 (https://doi.org/10.1039/c7rp00162b)
J. Bennett, J. Holman, in Chemical Education: Towards Research-based Practice. Science & Technology Education Library Vol. 17, J. K. Gilbert, O. De Jong, R. Justi, D. F. Treagust, J. H. Van Driel, Eds., Springer, Dordrecht, 2002 (https://doi.org/10.1007/0-306-47977-X_8)
Y. J. Dori, S. Avargil, Z. Kohen, L. Saar, Int. J. Sci. Educ. 40 (2018) 1198 (https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2018.1470351)
J. K. Gilbert, Int. J. Sci. Educ. 28 (2006) 957 (https://doi.org/10.1080/09500690600702470)
J. P. Gutwill-Wise, J. Chem. Educ. 78 (2001) 684 (https://doi.org/10.1021/ed078p684).