Using Algebraic Manipulations and Analogical Transformations to Problem-Solving of Contextual Chemistry Problems
Algebraic knowledge transfer is considered an important skill in problem-solving. Using algebraic knowledge transfer, students can connect concepts us.
- Pub. date: July 15, 2022
- Pages: 1781-1796
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Algebraic knowledge transfer is considered an important skill in problem-solving. Using algebraic knowledge transfer, students can connect concepts using common procedural similarities. This quasi-experimental study investigates the influence of algebraic knowledge in solving problems in a chemistry context by using analogical transformations. The impact of structured steps that students need to take during the process of solving stoichiometric problems was explicitly analyzed. A total of 108 eighth-grade students participated in the study. Of the overall number of students, half of them were included in the experimental classes, whereas the other half were part of the control classes. Before and after the intervention, contextual problems were administered twice to all the student participants. The study results indicate that the students of the experimental classes exposed to structured steps in solving algebraic problems and the procedural transformations scored better results in solving problems in mathematics for chemistry compared to their peers who did not receive such instruction. Nevertheless, the result shows that although the intervention was carried out in mathematics classes, its effect was more significant on students' achievements in chemistry. The findings and their practical implications are discussed at the end of the study.
Keywords: Algebraic manipulation, analogical transformations, contextual chemistry problems, mathematics, problem-solving.
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