Socioscientific Issues: Development of Socioscientific Inquiry about Climate Change in a Non-Science Majors Chemistry Course

Author

Helena Patricia De la Hoz De la Hoz

Date of Graduation

Fall 2015

Degree

Master of Science in Chemistry

Department

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Committee Chair

Bryan Breyfogle

Abstract

The following presents a pre-/post-intervention design for the analysis of both content knowledge and Socioscientific Reasoning (SSR) about climate change. Participants were 82 non-science majors registered in a lecture-lab course. The atmospheric-related environmental problems diagnostic test (AREPDiT) was used as pre-test and post-test to evaluate students' conceptual understanding about climate change. Students learned scientific knowledge about climate change; their pre-test and post-test were statistically significant different (t (81) = 11.515, p = < 0.001) which is used as evidence of learning. The use of the laboratory experiment to teach about the greenhouse effect and the pre-lab video and quiz, effectively helped students to learn and to gain confidence when taking the post-test AREPDiT. College professors can address citizenship by the integration of socioscientific-based instructional materials, like the ones here presented, into their chemistry courses without changing their entire chemistry curriculum

Keywords

socioscientific issues, content knowledge, socioscientific reasoning, online discussion, chemistry for non-majors

Subject Categories

Chemistry

Copyright

© Helena Patricia De la Hoz De la Hoz

Recommended Citation

De la Hoz, Helena Patricia De la Hoz, "Socioscientific Issues: Development of Socioscientific Inquiry about Climate Change in a Non-Science Majors Chemistry Course" (2015). MSU Graduate Theses. 3007.
https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/3007