Moving Beyond Active Learning: Deepening Learning Through Reflective Lab Notebooks

• In Event: Tilting Toward Inquiry: Implications for Teaching, Learning, and Professional Development

Abstract

Purpose
Produced as a result of and in tandem with participation in the inquiry professional development program, this teacher inquiry aimed to deepen students’ understanding of chemistry by providing more opportunities for students to articulate connections between evidence in lab activities and conclusions they are making.

Theoretical Framework
This study was shaped by ideas about writing to learn (Elbow, 1994; Zinsser, 2006) where the act of articulating ideas actually shapes thinking and concept formation for the individual writer. As the premise of scientific inquiry is to engage students in the thinking processes of scientists, writing is a both an avenue and a window into the thinking processes students use when they engage in science. Considerable research has supported the use of writing in science, but more recently some have sought to demonstrate an empirical link between the construction of scientific explanations and student learning (Ruiz-Primo, Li, Tsai, & Schneider, 2010).

Methods and Data Sources
In using chemistry lab notebooks, students were required to not only record observations and experimental data as well as draw conclusions as is typical but to specifically articulate how the evidence supported their conclusions and connected with the appropriate concept being studied. Guiding questions were provided to support these connections being made. Additionally, the rubric used to analyze the work in the notebooks was developed with the students who also used it to reflect on and evaluate their own work as well as that of peers. Data collected included completed lab report rubrics, student responses to a mid-year survey, exam scores including free response answers, and observations of post-lab discussions.
Results
Students in this general chemistry class (n=26) showed improvement in understanding of chemistry concepts based on pre-post testing and in comparison to students in other general chemistry courses not using this approach.
In written work, students showed tremendous improvement on the quality of work of student notebooks over time as assessed on the rubric. Additionally student discussion improved over time, from near silence at the beginning of the fall semester to a majority involvement during the spring semester. Students were also volunteered answers more often and appeared more confident in their explanations.
On year-end state exams, students scored, an average 37.8 points on the multiple-choice portion (max 50) compared to an average of 30.5 for students in other chemistry classes. In addition, students averaged 21.6 points on the free response portion (max 35) compared to an average of 18.9 for the 34 students in the other classes.
Last, student comments provided some indication that they felt they had grown in their confidence through the use of writing to learn.

Significance
Focusing students on connecting evidence and conclusion helps students focus on the learning the lab is meant to promote. It also makes students more mentally engaged with the material, thus allowing them to be comfortable asking more questions and delving more deeply into understanding. While the lab activities require physical engagement, the notebook guides students to be articulate in their explanations and increases mental engagement.

Author

• Jason Choi, Tarrytown union free district