Abstract:
The study focused on integrating exemplary materials and flipped classroom
instruction to enhance students’ performance and motivation in chemistry. The study
involved three stages, namely pre-intervention, intervention and post- intervention.
The action research design was employed in this study at Gbewaa College of
Education, Pusiga in the Upper East Region of Ghana. Purposive sampling technique
was used to select a sample size of 40 students for the study. Test and questionnaire
items were the research instruments used to collect data for the study. A test- retest
method was used to calculate the reliability of the test items. Reliability indices of
0.833, 0.794, and 0.824 were obtained for the test items. Cronbach Alpha coefficient
was used to determine the internal consistency of 30 questionnaire items. Qualitative
data based on students’ preconceptions were analysed and classified into levels of
understanding and causes of conceptual errors among the respondents and through the
use of descriptive statistics. Quantitative data on the other hand were analysed using
student t-test at 0.05 level of significance to determine significant differences between
pre-intervention test and post- intervention test scores.The questionnaire items were
analysed using Regression analysis.The results showed that the use of Wooden
Atomic Models and hence, the integrating exemplary materials and flipped classroom
instruction enhanced the teacher trainees’understanding and levels of motivation in
chemical formulae and the nomenclature of inorganic compounds, helped both males
and females to improve their levels of understanding and majority of the students
exhibited three levels of understanding spiraling from no understanding,
understanding with specific misconception to partial understanding. These levels of
understanding were characterised by four types of errors which overlapped each other.
Among other recommendations, it was suggested that, Wooden Atomic Models and
integration of exemplary materials and flipped classroom instruction be respectively
used as teaching and learning materials and instructional strategy to enhance students'
performance in chemical formulae and nomenclature of inorganic compounds.
Description:
A Thesis in the Department of Science Education,
Faculty of Science Education, submitted to the School of
Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the award of
Doctor of Philosophy
(Science Education)
in the University of Education, Winneba
November, 2021