ARTICLES
Engaging students in Chemistry
By Sue Colman
Getting the message out there
how many children are characterised as being disengaged and
disconnected from school learning. This issue is further highlighted
by Goss & Sonnermann (2017) exploring how several children
are disengaged in classroom learning as he explains how more
than 40% of children ineffectively participate in their own learning.
Children’s disengagement can be accentuated through their
constantly disrupting themselves and others in their learning, but
some students are disengaged in their learning without showing
signs of disrupting others. Goss & Sonnermann (2017) highlights
this, examining how ‘nearly one in four students are compliant but
quietly disengaged’ (p.15).
Our students vote with their feet. If we don’t engage the students
we will lose them from our course, but more importantly we will
have further citizens, all potential voters, that do not understand
the pseudo-science being presented to them. This is called 'the
information age', but my question is: How prepared are our young
people to discern the quality and accuracy of the information they
receive?
So we come back to the initial question: how do we engage our
students in our courses? Well, in the current system where we
assess continuously we can pressure students to attend and
engage. Then we can assure them a pass, and assume we have
done our job!
The problem of student engagement can be affected by various
factors, including lack of interest in school programs, family issues
at home or school, low quality teaching practice, and difficulty in
school work (Goss & Sonnermann, 2017). Murray et al (2004)
furthers this, indicating that children being disinterested in the
work can also impact student disengagement and there being
limited choices in their learning. The issue of student engagement
is a significant challenge that teachers face in their classrooms
today, as Goss & Sonnermann (2017) explores how teachers
believe managing disengagement and student misbehaviours
is one of the biggest challenges for teachers. They explain that
‘nearly one-third of teachers are highly stressed by the challenges
of engaging and reengaging students in class’ (p15).
In my opinion this is of little value. We have them for a relatively
short period of time, and what will they remember after they
leave? Or more importantly, will they want to further their studies
in this area?
Now let’s consider what ‘to engage’ means. The Webster
definition of ‘engaging’ is ‘tending to draw favourable attention
or interest’. This process involves an interaction, and our aim as
the teacher must be to have each individual student engaged
with us. There are constraints, but even in distance education
this can be achieved. Early on in my career I taught Chemistry by
distance; it was a challenge. One interesting anecdote occurred;
two students attended the same practical group at university, and
the lecturer said that they should have known each other. In fact
they had no idea, and each thought they were my only student.
The lecturer was very surprised but noted that both students were
very eager to learn. It is always good to get positive feedback!
Nearly one third of all teachers are highly stressed by the
challenges of engaging and reengaging students in class.
The learner-centred approach recognises that a child’s prior
knowledge plays such an important part in a student’s learning
it should be extended to our older students in senior courses. It
comes with an assumption that our students are not blank slates
but come with knowledge, ideas and interest, which must be built
upon and fostered, and above all respected.
What do we know about student engagement from the literature?
• The Grattan Institute report finds:
In Australia, many students are consistently disengaged in
class: as many as 40 per cent are unproductive in a given year.
https://prezi.com/l9fdll8kvaet/problem-based-learning
Teachers implement problem-based learning by choosing a
topic that will interest and engage the children or a topic that
the teacher is interested for the children to learn more about. In
selecting a topic, teachers should ensure that what the children
learn about relates to the curriculum content, and use questions
to provoke the children’s thinking about the project’s topic that will
be explored (Patton & Robin, 2012).
• A similar study in the UK found:
This is especially true of the middle-of-the-class youngsters in
Years 8 and 9, who cause no trouble and win no prizes.
• An issue raised in the online Journal, ‘The Conversation’:
What is the use of science knowledge if you are never inclined
to use it once you leave the reward systems of schooling?
In “Problem Based Learning” by Bethany Sterrey on Prezi
https://prezi.com/l9fdll8kvaet/problem-based-learning/
Grattan Institute, 2017.
“What educators can do is engage students by harnessing
their ideas, interests, curiosity, abilities, talents, and skills, and
“In Australian classrooms today Murray et al (2004) examines
33
SCIENCE EDUCATIONAL NEWS VOL 67 NO 4