Abstract

The integration of inquiry-based learning within classroom instruction is increasingly prevalent due to its potential to enhance students' critical thinking abilities while facilitating an engaging learning experience. This study aimed to develop lessons that incorporate conceptual change argument-driven inquiry activities, and to assess their acceptability based on criteria including content, format, presentation, and organization, as well as the accuracy and currency of information. Employing a Research and Development (R&D) methodology, the objective was to produce effective instructional materials that enhance lesson development through the integration of these inquiry activities. The findings indicate that the average scores for the respective evaluation criteria were 3.77 for content, 3.51 for format, 3.43 for presentation and organization, and 3.49 for accuracy and currency. These scores suggest a high level of acceptance across all criteria. Consequently, the developed lessons are deemed suitable for implementation in senior high schools, specifically within grade 11 chemistry courses. Furthermore, these lessons are designed to promote essential 21st-century skills. Educators are strongly encouraged to incorporate the argument-driven learning method into their pedagogical practices, as it has been recognized for its enjoyable, engaging, and learner-centered approach.

1. Introduction

Learning may entail changing one's concepts and adding new information to what is already known ^{1, 2}. This perspective was developed using the idea of conceptual change learning. The conceptual change model comprises two key components ³. The first is the set of circumstances that must be satisfied for a person to undergo a conceptual shift. The amount of conception that fulfils requirements is referred to as a person's conception status. The higher the rank of a conception, the more requirements it satisfies. The second component is the person's conceptual ecology, which provides the context for a conceptual shift to occur, impacts the change, and offers meaning to the change. According to the conceptual change model, a person's conceptual ecology encompasses various types of knowledge, including epistemological commitments to consistency and generalizability, metaphysical beliefs about the world, and analogies and metaphors that facilitate new data organization ⁴. A person’s conceptual ecosystem is important in establishing the state of their conception, as it informs their judgments about whether the requirements for conceptual change have been met ⁵. Some criteria for teaching conceptual change are concepts, metacognition, status, and justification ⁶. Teachers should openly address students' ideas in instruction based on the conceptual change paradigm — a practice that is not frequently observed. Another concern is that students' views should be treated equally with the teacher's ⁷. This helps learners choose between several viewpoints during classroom discussions. Furthermore, several learning tools are utilized by teachers in their classroom discussions.

Moreover, the different emphases on conceptual change studies have drawn attention to physics-related concepts ^{18, 19, 20, 21} and biology-related concepts ^{22, 23}. However, there is relatively limited attention to chemistry-related studies ^{24, 25, 26}, which underscores potential disparities in science education research priorities. Balancing the exploration of conceptual change across various scientific domains could contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the learning process in Chemistry. Despite the incorporation of a diverse array of teaching strategies in the conceptual change study, ranging from constructivism ²⁷ and computer simulation-assisted instruction ²⁸ to direct instruction models ²⁹, conceptual change integrated with advance organizers ³⁰, conceptual change combined with the predict-observe-explain strategy ³¹, concept mapping and guided discovery ³² there are no related studies that focused on the improvement of students’ scientific argumentation skills.

The study focuses on the development and acceptability of Chemistry lessons that integrate conceptual change and argument-driven inquiry to enhance learners’ comprehension of reaction rates. It intends to integrate the principle of conceptual change argument-driven inquiry (CCADI). With the aid of ADI, students are encouraged to formulate questions, investigate, develop evidence-based arguments, and think critically about science activities ³³. The essence of examining the chemistry curriculum in reaction rate concepts can provide a solid foundation for students to understand phenomena and processes in the chemical state.

The conceptual change argument-driven inquiry (CCADI) is a pedagogical approach that integrates argumentation and inquiry-based learning to facilitate conceptual understanding in science education. The approach is centered on the concept that learning is most effective when students actively develop, assess, and defend scientific arguments based on data gathered in hands-on activities or experiments. However, there is a need to improve 21st-century skills among students, particularly in critical thinking and problem-solving related to science concepts. One way to enhance learning in science, particularly in chemistry, is to utilize the inquiry method. Learning science must develop students’ abilities to understand and apply scientific reasoning in argumentation contexts. Thus, to advance teaching strategies in conceptual change, it is essential to integrate the Conceptual Change Argument-Driven Inquiry (CCADI) model, a framework designed to transform conventional classroom practices into instructional learning that provides students with opportunities to engage in reflective scientific inquiry.

2. Methodology

This study employed a Research and Development (R&D) method. Research and development aim to produce a product that integrates lessons with conceptual change argument-driven inquiry. Conceptual change refers to how pre-existing misconceptions are replaced by empirical information. It is measured by assessing the student’s ability to explain the reaction rate before and after the intervention using conceptual change argument-driven inquiry. In contrast, argument-driven inquiry – refers to the teaching approach of scientific argumentation and inquiry-based learning. It engages students in generating, analyzing, and debating scientific arguments based on the findings from experiments on reaction rates and collision theory. The resulting product is then evaluated for its acceptability based on content, format, presentation, organization, accuracy, and the inclusion of up-to-date information, as adapted from the Department's Learning Resources Management and Development System (LRMDS) rating sheet ³⁴. The stages of developing the lessons integrated with conceptual change argument-driven inquiry are summarized in Figure 1.

The preliminary stage of the study began by reviewing the Grade 11 Chemistry competencies and drafting the lesson components. The lessons are divided into seven major parts. This instructional framework covers the seven phases of inquiry-based learning ³⁵. In the elicit phase, this is all about figuring out what the students already know ³⁶. The teacher begins by asking questions to determine the students' prior knowledge and any misconceptions they may have. This is accomplished through pre-assessment activities, such as quizzes or interactive exercises.

Understanding what students think allows the teacher to prepare better classes that challenge these ideas and generate fresh insights. The teacher captures the students' attention and stimulates their curiosity in the engage phase ³⁷. The teacher presents a thought-provoking scenario or a perplexing question about the topic. The goal is to capture students' curiosity and desire to learn more. This prepares students for more in-depth investigations and keeps them engaged. Then, students gain hands-on experience in the explore phase. Students perform experiments or engage in activities that enable them to collect data and make observations ³⁸. This hands-on experience allows children to develop their own ideas and explanations for the scientific data they are learning. They develop early arguments based on their observations, which allows them to think more thoroughly about the subject. After exploring, students gather to discuss the results of their investigations in the explain phase ³⁹. They present their preliminary arguments and discuss them with the other group members. During these argumentations, they assess the quality of each other's claims by examining the evidence and reasoning utilized. This collaborative discussion enables students to develop their ideas and gain a deeper understanding of diverse perspectives. Moreover, in the elaborate phase, the teacher facilitates a reflective discussion to reinforce the new concepts ⁴⁰. Students reflect on what they have learned and how it relates to their existing knowledge. This enables students to integrate the new knowledge into their existing understanding, making it more meaningful and easier to recall. Students then assess their understanding by creating and finalizing scientific arguments. Additionally, students take a post-assessment to determine how their comprehension has improved during the evaluation phase. This phase allows them to establish their knowledge and assess their own progress ⁴¹. Further, students use what they learned in larger scenarios in the extend phase. They may apply their new knowledge to various circumstances or topics through reflective writing or projects ⁴². This helps students realize the importance of their learning and encourages them to continue exploring and questioning beyond the classroom.

There are two major lessons developed for the third quarter of the grade 11 Chemistry, which covered the concepts of chemical structure and chemical reactions. The lessons were integrated with argument-driven inquiry activities. These activities were inserted in the acquisition part of the lesson plan, and instructions, scoring, and point system regarding the activities were provided. The figure above is a sample of the developed lesson, including its various parts. The researcher-made grade 11 Chemistry third-quarter lessons were presented to five instructional and curriculum experts and science teachers for corrections, face, and content validity. These experts have at least a master’s degree, taught in academe for at least five years, and have used inquiry-based learning in their classes.

Then, further revisions were done based on the comments and suggestions of the experts to improve the lesson content and format. As the final step of this process, the revised lessons were presented to thirty public school science teachers for evaluation of acceptability. These chosen science teachers and experts have taught in the academe for at least five years and are using inquiry-based activities in the class. They are also allowed to give their comments and suggestions after rating the lessons. Ethical standards were observed throughout the conduct of this study. Below is the scoring procedure for the acceptability evaluation.

3. Results and Discussion

Content pertains to the appropriateness of the scope, range, and depth of topics in relation to the learning needs of the target audience and the attainment of specified learning outcomes. It also fosters the development of higher-order thinking skills. The content of the lessons, which is integrated with conceptual change and argument-driven inquiry, was assessed by thirty experts in curriculum and instruction, as well as science, for its acceptability. The results are summarized in Table 2. According to this table, each indicator achieved a mean score exceeding 3.26, while the overall mean for the content was 3.77, indicating a very high level.

This means that the lessons integrated with conceptual change argument-driven inquiry activities were acceptable and met the descriptors indicated in the Learning Resources Management and Development System (LRMDS) rating sheet of the Department of Education ³⁴. This very high rating may also be attributed to the relevance and applicability of the developed lessons in chemistry, which align with the Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELCs) of the Department of Education ⁴³. The experts noted in their evaluation that the lessons designed promote the development of valuable traits and values. These include a scientific attitude and reasoning, a desire for excellence, teamwork and cooperation, a willingness to learn new things, honesty and trustworthiness, the ability to discern right from wrong, respect, productive work, and both critical and creative thinking.

The lesson format was evaluated based on factors such as prints, illustrations, design and layout, paper binding, as well as the weight and size of the resource. Additionally, it considered the quality of the paper, packaging, and binding, ensuring that these elements were suitable for the intended use and expected lifespan of the resource. According to the experts' ratings, each of the indicators has a mean score greater than 3.26, with the overall mean for the format being 3.51, which can be interpreted as very high. This suggests that the lessons, which incorporated conceptual change argument-driven inquiry activities, were well-received and met the criteria outlined in the Learning Resources Management and Development System (LRMDS) ³⁴ rating sheet of the Department of Education in terms of their format. This very high rating may be attributed to the coherence between the topics and the activities, as well as the ease with which the lessons were prepared for educational use.

One of the most essential elements in developing educational materials is the effective presentation and organization of content. The presentation must be engaging, interesting, clear, and logical, facilitating a smooth progression of ideas that enhances learners’ experiences and understanding. As indicated by the expert ratings in Table 4, each criterion received a mean score exceeding 3.26, with an overall mean for presentation and organization at 3.43, which is indicative of a very high standard. This suggests that the lessons, which incorporate conceptual change argument-driven inquiry activities, are both acceptable and aligned with the criteria specified in the Learning Resources Management and Development System (LRMDS) rating sheet from the Department of Education ³⁴. The very high rating can also be attributed to the seamless flow of the lesson, which adheres to the 7Es model (Elicit, Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate, and Extend), allowing teachers to utilize the materials with ease.

The final factor in the evaluation sheet is the accuracy and currency of the information. This refers to the presentation of factual and up-to-date content, which helps prevent misconceptions or misunderstandings in the lessons. As shown in Table 5, each indicator has a mean score greater than 3.26, with an overall mean of 3.49 for accuracy and currency. This score can be interpreted as very high, indicating that the accuracy and currency of the information are deemed acceptable according to the Learning Resources Management and Development System (LRMDS) rating sheet from the Department of Education ³⁴. This very high rating could be due to the minimal or no conceptual, factual, grammatical, and computational errors in the developed lessons, which are integrated with conceptual change argument-driven inquiry activities. Moreover, this can also be attributed to the argumentation integrated into the lesson, which the experts believed consisted of problem-solving concepts, learning processes, and learning content, thereby enhancing the teaching, and learning outcomes. As ^{11, 12, 13} have mentioned, argument-driven inquiry (ADI) methods have shown that they may increase students' scientific argumentation skills during learning and improve their critical thinking, reasoning, and conceptual understanding by integrating scientific argumentation. Also, this can enhance their understanding of scientific phenomena through asserting, arguing, and providing evidence to support their claims and arguments.

4. Conclusion

According to the assessments conducted by thirty experts in science and curriculum instruction, the developed grade 11 chemistry lessons, which integrate conceptual change and argument-driven inquiry activities, have been found to be acceptable. This suggests that these lessons can be effectively implemented in senior high schools, particularly in grade 11 chemistry classes. Moreover, the lessons are designed to cultivate essential 21st-century skills in students. Educators are encouraged to adopt the argument-driven learning method in their teaching, as it is recognized for being enjoyable, engaging, and centered on the learner. This instructional approach not only enhances students’ comprehension of scientific concepts but also promotes critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which are essential in today’s world.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors would like to express their deepest gratitude to the participants, and Department of Science Education, University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines, Department of Education El Salvador City Division, Hinigdaan National High School, and my amazing wife, Jean Krishna Lopez Mugot for the support extended to finally come up with this investigation.

References