• Project-based learning (PBL) is a student-

centered pedagogy that involves a dynamic

classroom approach in which it is believed
that students acquire a deeper knowledge
through active exploration of real-world
challenges and problems.
Problem-based learning in teaching
chemistry: enthalpy changes in
systems
• Background
• Problem-based learning (PBL) as a teaching strategy
has recently become quite widespread in especially
chemistry classes. Research has found that students,
from elementary through college, have many
alternative conceptions regarding enthalpy changes in
systems. Although there are several studies focused on
identifying student alternative conceptions and
misunderstandings of this subject, studies on
preventing the formation of these alternative
conceptions are limited.
• Purpose
• The aim of this study was to improve the
learning achievements of students and to
investigate the effects of PBL and thereby
prevent the formation of alternative
conceptions with respect to the teaching of
the chemistry lesson, enthalpy changes in
systems.
• The population of the study consisted of 41
students from 2 11th-grade high school
classes in Izmir, Turkey.
• Design and methods
• As a pre- and post-test quasi-experimental design was
used for the study, one of the two classes was
randomly assigned as the experimental group, and the
other was used as the control group. In teaching the
subject, the developed material was taught by the
same teacher who applied PBL in the experimental
group and traditional teaching methods in the control
group. At the end of the teaching units, a post-test was
administered to determine the level of student
learning and achievement.
• Results
• It was concluded from the obtained results that the average success
of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the
control group and that the experimental group had significantly
fewer alternative conceptions, conceptual difficulties, and lack of
knowledge than did the control group.
• Conclusions
• PBL is an effective active learning approach that enhances
achievement and prevents the formation of alternative
conceptions, conceptual difficulties and lack of knowledge among
11th-grade students with respect to enthalpy changes in systems.
The results suggest that if PBL were more widely applied in classes,
students would acquire the skills necessary to be successful in life.
• Examples of problem-based learning approaches
in chemistry
• A problem-based learning environment is
conducive to linking scientific concepts to
examining science-based issues in society.
Scenarios can be developed from actual research
studies reported in scientific journals, local
scenarios or issues, an imaginary scenario, an
interesting chemical phenomenon or a fact-based
or fictional case study as in the following
example:
• Problem-based learning (PBL) is one alternative for a
meaningful realization of chemistry teaching. It has been used
widely in higher education both in Finland and abroad,
especially in medicine (e.g. Aarnio, Nieminen, Pyörälä &
Lindblom-Ylänne, 2010; Ram, 1999) and in biochemistry (e.g.
Dods, 1996). In chemistry teaching, a problem-based method
of learning has been in use among students working on their
basic degree studies (e.g. Cancilla, 2001; Dolmans & Schmidt,
1996; Ram, 1999). Problem-based learning is a pedagogical
approach (Perrenet, Bouhuis & Smits, 2000) in solving
practical problems (Kelly & Finlayson, 2009), where communal
problem solving is emphasized and it builds a connection
between learning and observations (e.g. Dolmans, De Graeve,
Wolfhagen, & Van Der Vleuten, 2005; Girault et al., 2012).
• Problem brief: An insurance company has received a
claim for $15,000 to replace a 2-carat diamond ring
that a female passenger in a car claimed had been
internally shattered when the car was involved in a
collision with another car. The passenger claims that
the diamond no longer shines as brilliantly as it did
before the accident and wants to purchase a
replacement diamond. In her claim, the passenger
states that she has had a quote for $25,000 as a
replacement ring and can sell her ‘shattered’ ring for
$10,000. The passenger’s jeweller has submitted
photographs that show the diamond has an ‘inclusion’.
• .
• The insurance company has approached your
chemistry class to investigate whether it is
possible that a diamond can be shattered in a
car accident, and to recommend whether the
claim is legitimate and should be paid out
• Student task: Draw on chemistry concepts
related to covalent bonding to develop a
model or simulation that demonstrates to a
non-chemistry expert what would be required
for a diamond to ‘internally shatter’, and to
prepare a report that includes a
recommendation about the legitimacy of the
insurance claim.
• Step 2: Refine the question/ explore possible options/ determine
what other information is required (class brainstorming)
• Step 3: Plan the actual investigation/narrow your choices (class
consensus)
• Step 4: Test ideas, obtain further information, build and evaluate
models (group and/or individual)
• Step 5: Write a report and present a model that draws upon
relevant discussions/research/ experiments, including specific
scientific terminology, in response to the brief.
• Note: problem-based scenarios do not necessarily have a single
solution.
• A problem-based learning approach can also be used to develop
specific science skills. The skills should link to relevant chemistry
content. The following example focuses on the skill of hypothesis
formulation.
• Possible responses:
• Crystals generally grow by the ordered deposition of solute particles onto the
surface of a pre-existing crystal. Background research may be undertaken to
explore possible factors that affect crystallisation before a hypothesis can be
formulated. General issues for consideration include:
• a. Solvent
• polarity of the solvent.
• b. Solute and solution
• composition of solute (for example, simple ionic solid; ‘double’ salt, molecular
solid – polar or non-polar)
• solubility of solute in solvent
• degree of saturation of solution (for example, saturated versus supersaturated).
• c. Nucleation
• number of nucleation sites
• type of nucleation site (for example, small seed crystal suspended into the solvent;
seed crystals on base of container; scratched glass surface of container).
• Physical conditions over the time allowed for crustal growth
• initial temperature of solvent
• rate of cooling of solution
• intensity of light
• total volume and surface area of solvent
• degree of stillness (for example, whether vibrations, draughts or
other disturbances occur)
• humidity of the surrounding air (in the case of water as the
solvent).
• e. total time available for crystal growth
• number of days.
• Step 3: Plan the actual investigation/narrow your choices (class
consensus)
Possible responses:
Need to identify dependent and independent variables and control other
variables.
Independent variable (being selected) relates to a selected factor relating to
the set-up for the crystallization process to occur and could be:
• number of nucleation sites
• temperature
• light intensity
• size of nucleation site
• type of nucleation site
• saturation level of solvent
• nature of solvent.
Dependent variable (being measured) relates to ‘nature of the crystal’ that is
formed and could be:
size of crystal
crystal shape – degree of symmetry.
Control of variables is dependent on selected independent and dependent
variables.
Step 4: Test ideas and obtain further information (group and/or individual)
Possible responses:
Hypothesis example: 'If, in nature, rocks that have cooled quickly only contain
small mineral crystals, then the slower the rate of cooling of a solution, the
larger will be the crystal that is produced.'
Not all hypotheses are testable and not all variables can be controlled for
some experiments.
For this problem, students generate possible hypotheses; provide feedback
on each other's hypotheses; modify own hypotheses.
Step 5: Write a conclusion that draws upon
discussions/research/experiments, including discussion of scientific terms,
control of variables and evaluation of experimental methodology.
Note: This class problem-based learning approach can be used to generate
different questions for students to investigate, particularly for experimental
investigations.