Implementation of Modeling Instruction in a High School Chemistry Unit on Energy and States of Matter

Abstract

Interest in student-centered active learning pedagogies is widespread, but discipline-specific examples of implemented instructional approaches are needed to bridge the gap between pedagogical ideas and their enactment. One of these approaches, Modeling Instruction, is an active, student-centered approach wherein students learn through construction and application of conceptual particle models to understand, interpret, and predict observable phenomena. Here, we demonstrate implementation of Modeling Instruction to teach concepts from an Energy and States of Matter unit in high school chemistry. This preliminary study allowed us to begin to understand the connections between the method, student learning, and student attitudes. Analyses of pre-test, unit exam, and final exam questions provide qualitative support of the method’s efficacy. For the two objectives examined here, over 60% of students demonstrated mastery by the end of a unit taught through Modeling Instruction. Semester-long improvements in exam scores suggest that Modeling Instruction facilitates content mastery and retention more effectively than traditional instruction. Finally, anecdotal evidence, particularly insights into student mindset, shows that Modeling Instruction positively impacts the ways students think about their own learning.

Keywords

• chemistry
• constructivism
• inquiry-based/discovery learning
• active learning
• modeling instruction