Effectiveness of Teaching Using Thomas Kuhn's Theory in Acquiring Chemical Concepts of Eleventh-grade Students

Abstract

Objectives: The study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of teaching based on Thomas Kuhn's theory in acquiring critical thinking skills and chemical concepts among 11th-grade female students. Methods: The study used the quasi-experimental approach based on the random assignment of complete groups. The study included a sample that consisted of 58 students as an experimental group and 56 students as a control group. The study used an Arabic version of the Glaser-Watson critical thinking scale and a test to measure the acquisition of chemical concepts. Results: The results showed that there are statistical differences in the mean in the post-application of the Critical Thinking Scale, and for the skills of evaluating discussions, in favor of the experimental group, with minimal impact size. In addition, the results indicated that there are statistically significant differences between the mean scores of the experimental and control groups in the results of the post-application in favor of the experimental group, acquisition of chemical concepts, more than the control group. Conclusions: The study recommends that teachers adopt teaching based on Thomas Kuhn's theory in their lessons by increasing historical models and comparing them and their development and reliance on comparing students’ models with the scientific models of scientists and giving students sufficient time to design their models.

Keywords

• Post-positivism philosophy
• paradigm
• scientific concepts
• teaching method
• chemistry teaching