MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
HANOI NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION

LE THI DANG CHI

APPLYING HANDS ON METHOD IN TEACHING CHEMISTRY TO
DEVELOP THE CAPACITY OF SOLVING PROBLEMS AND
CREATIVITY FOR STUDENTS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Speciality: Reasoning and teaching method of chemistry
Code: 91.40.111
SUMMARY OF EDUCATIONAL SCIENCE PH.D THESIS

Supervisor: ASSOC.PROF. PH.D TRAN TRUNG NINH
PH.D VO VAN DUYEN EM

HA NOI, 2020
1


Research has been completed at: Chemistry Faculty – Ha Noi National University
of Education

Supervisor 1: ASSOC.PROF. PH.D Tran Trung Ninh
Supervisor 2: PH.D Vo Van Duyen Em

Review 1: ASSOC.PROF. PH.D Phung Quoc Viet
Review 2: ASSOC.PROF. PH.D Pham Van Hoan
Review 3: PH.D Pham Thi Bich Dao

The thesis will be defended by the University-level thesis evaluation committee at

method based on the fundamental of enquiry and applied to teaching natural science subjects.
This method was initiated by Professor Georges Charpak (Nobel Prize in Physics in 1992).
This method’s goal is to create curiosity, desire to explore and indulge in science of students,
paying much attention to practice expressive skills through spoken and written language,
teaching using Hands on method aims to help students being active, self-sufficient in
discovering and suggesting problem solving solutions, improve students' creativity in research
activities, these characteristics create favorable conditions for forming and developing capacity
of solving problems and creativity for students.
3


Based on the results of the Conference on handing over the project "Deploying Handson method in high schoolss from 2011 to 2015", the Ministry of Education and Training
promulgated Official Dispatch No. 3535 / BGDĐT-GDTrH guiding some contents which
continue to apply Hands on method in high schoolss. However, applying Hands on
method to teaching chemistry in secondary schools is still limited, especially application
of this method to develop some necessary skills for students such as capacity of solving
problems and creativity.
For those above reasons, we choose the research topic "APPLYING HANDS ON
METHOD IN TEACHING CHEMISTRY TO DEVELOP CAPACITY OF SOLVING
PROBLEMS AND CREATIVITY FOR STUDENTS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS".
2. Research’s aims
Applying Hands on method to develop capicity of solving problems and creativity for
students in teaching chemistry in secondary schools, thereby contribute to improve quality
of teaching in secondary schools.
3. Reasearch’s missions
3.1. Research the theoretical basis of the topic: Innovating teaching method of
chemistry, general issues of Hands on method, capacity of solving problems and
creativity.
3.2. Research the actual situation of applying Hands on method and developing
capicity of solving problems and creativity for students through teaching chemistry

the quality of teaching Chemistry.
7. Research’s methods
Using topic feature with these researches:
7.1. Group theoretical research methods
7.2. Group of practical research methods
7.3. Statistical processing method
8. Research’s new contributions
- Researching the reasoning’s basis of Hands on method and capacity of solving
problems and creativity.
- Investigating, assessing actual situation of applying Hands on method and developing
capacity of solving problems and creativity in teaching chemistry in Secondary schools.
- Forming a process of developing capacity of solving problems and creativity for
students by teaching chemistry using Hands on method.
- Recommend principles, procedures, design directions of beginning situations in
teaching chemistry using Hands on method in secondary schools.
5


- Designing some topics about teaching inorganic chemistry section based on Hands on
method in order to develop capacity of solving problems and creativity for students by
using Hands on method.
- Recommend principles, design processes, usage of system of practical exercises in
teaching chemistry using Hands on method in Secondary schoolss.
- Designing toolkit to assess capacity of solving problems and creativity in teaching
chemistry using Hands on method in Secondary schoolss.
9. Thesis’s structure
In addition to the introduction, conclusions and references, content part of the thesis is
divided into 3 chapters:
Chapter 1. Reasoning’s base and practises about applying Hands on method in teaching
chemistry in secondary schools

students know how to solve problems to find new things to some extent. In order to have capacity
of solving problems and creativitystudents must be in a problematic situation, finding how to
solve the contradictory cognitive or action and resulting in a new and effective solution.
1.3.3. Structure of capacity of solving problems and creativity.
1.4. The basic reasoning about Hands on method.
1.4.1. Scientific bases of Hands on method
1.4.2. The basic principles of Hands on method.
1.4.3. Teaching by Hands on method.
1.4.3.1. Process of teaching using Hands on method.
Including 5 stages:
Stage 1: Beginning situations and suggesting experimental questions
7


Stage 2: Forming experimental questions
Stage 3: Forming experimental theories and experimental solutions
Stage 4: Implementing experimental solutions
Stage 5: Inferring, legalizing new knowledge
1.4.3.2. Role of Hands on method in developing capacity of solving problems and creativity.
1.4.3.3. Practical exercises and development of capacity of solving problems and creativity for
students in teaching using Hands on method.
1.5. Teaching by subject
1.5.1.Conception of teaching by subject
1.5.2. The process of developing teaching by subject
1.6. Actual situation of applying Hands on method and developing capacity of solving
problems and creativity in teaching Chemistry in Secondary schools.
1.6.1 . Actual situation of applying Hands on method in teaching Chemistry in Secondary
schools.
1.6.1.1. Teaching methods used by teachers in teaching Chemistry in Secondary schools.
Figure 1. 1. Chart of teaching methods used by teachers in teaching chemistry.


315

20

289

46

Improving classes’ quality

302

33

Improving solving problems ability

324

11

Improving experiment ability

296

39


Disagree
Agree

experiment
ability

Figure 1. 3. Chart of assessments about classess applying Hands on method.
1.6.2. Actual situation of capacity of solving problems and creativity of students in Secondary
schools.
1.6.2.1. Results of teachers’ surveys
No
.
1
2

3

Questions

Teachers’ answers

Forming capacity of
Very
Necessery
solving problems and
necessary
creativity for students is: 212 (63,28%) 119 (35,52%)
Students’ capacity of
Need to
Average
solving problems and
improve
creativity in Secondary

Need to improve

Not necessary now

Average

Not necessary

Good
Exellent

Figure 1.4: Chart of the necessity to form
capacity of solving problems and creativity for
secondary school students.
Figure 1.5: Chart of the real situation of
capacity of solving problems and creativity for
secondary school students.
9


1.6.2.2. Results of students’ surveys
Table 1. 5. Necessary chemistry study skills of students
Very
good
(4)

Good
(3)

Not good


25

4. Suggesting experimental questions in
learning

37

129

550

249

5. Suggesting experimental solutions in
learning

28

232

507

197

6. Experimenting

63

421

initial impression
7. Inferring new knowledge
6. Experimenting
5. Suggesting experimental solutions
in learning

None
Not good
Good

4. Suggesting experimental questions
in learning

Very good

3. Presentating ideas
2. Working in groups
1
.

Figure 1. 4. Chart of students' necessary learning skills using Hands on method
Table 1. 6. Attitude of students when encountering learning and practical problems
Actions
Thinking, using, finding knowledge to solve
10

Amount of
students
276


Step
1. Beginning
situations and
suggesting
experimental
questions

2. Forming
experimental
questions
3. Forming
experimental
theories and
experimental
11

Level of developing capacity of
solving problems and creativity
Teache %Teache
Level
r
r
Verry good
73
52,52
Good

62

44,6


Not good

5

3,6

Verry good

84

60,43

Good

31

22,3

Average

21

15,11

Experiment’s objects
Objects
Teachers
Teachers and
students


2,9

14

10,07

49

35,25

9

6,47

67

48,2

9

6,47

94

67,63

4

2,88

Average

17

12,23

Not good

4

2,88

Verry good

28

20,14

Good

49

35,25

Average

54

38,85



19,42

18

12,95

87

62,59

9

6,47

94

67,63

0

0%

36

25,9

1.5.4. General assessment of actual situation.
Renovating teaching methods needs to be considered in many different aspects. Especially, it is
necessary to apply modern teaching methods in teaching Chemistry to comprehensively develop



I. Preparing

- Determining teaching
- Prepare teaching tools as
objectives
teachers required
- Prepare teaching tools
- Making teaching plan
Step 1: Beginning situations and suggesting experimental questions
- Stating beginning
- Receiving issues
-Recognizing new
situation.
ideas.

Step 2: Forming experimental questions
- Organizing for students to
- Expressing initial notions - Detecting and
express initial notions.
-Discussing and unifying
clarifying problems
initial notions.
II. Organizing
-Suggesting experimental
teaching using
questions
Hands
on - Organizing for students to

- Asking groups to report
- Presentators report
- Independent thinking
the results, help students
results, the whole class
accurate and finalize key
exchanged to infer new
knowledge.
knowledge.
- Compared to initial
notions
III. Assessing - General assessment
- Self assessment
- Independent thinking
2.2.3. Designing beginning situation.
2.2.3.1. The standard of beginning situation.
2.2.3.2. The process of designing beginning situation.
Step 1: Defining teaching goals
Step 2: Analysing content
13


Step 3: Finding teaching ideas, searching for related information to design beginning
situations
Step 4: Developing a starting point
2.2.3.3. Design direction of beginning situation.
a. Exploiting the incorrect initial conceptions of students
b. Exploiting the diversity in the suggestions of students
c. Exploiting students' creative ideas in designing their experimental plans
2.3. Selecting teaching topic to apply Hands on method to develop capacity of solving

Acid’s chemical features
Acid
3
Some important acids
Base’s chemical features
Base
3
Some important bases
Salt’s chemical features
Salt
3
Some important salts
Chemical fertilizers
9
Metal’s features
Chemical active range of metals
Aluminum
Metal
Iron
5
Nonmetal’s features
Chlorine
Nonmetal
Carbon
3

14


2.4. Forming system of practical exercises to develop capacity of solving problems and

2. Compustion
life
3. Oxygen is life
Air – Compustion
8
4. Water blower in aquaculture
ponds
Features
–
applications
of 5. Air balloon
Hydrogenhydrogen
6. Water and talking number.
Water
Water
Oxide’s chemical features
7. Solving alkaline soil
Oxide
8. Photochemical fog
9. Truong Uc lime furnace
Some important oxides
10. Insects’ bites
11. Acid rain
Acid’s chemical features
Acid
Some important acids
9

Base’s chemical features
Base


Chlorine
Carbon

19. Using chlorine to clean
swimming pools
20. Carbon, the element of
opposites
21. Gas mask
22.Operating principle of fire
extinguishers

2.4. 4. Using the system of practical exercises to develop capacity of solving problems and
creativity for students in learning Inorganic Chemistry section using Hands on method in
Secondary School.
a. Used to create beginning situations.
b. Used to train designing experimental solutions skills for students.
c. Used to assess students' capacity of solving problems and creativity.
2.5. Designing lessons’ plans using Hands on method in teaching Inorganic Chemistry
section at secondary schools to develop students' capacity of solving problems and
creativity.
2.5.1. Applying to Chemistry 8
2.5.2. Applying to chemical 9
2.6. Designing toolkit to assess capacity of solving problems and creativity of students in
Secondary schools.
2.6.1. Process of designing toolkit to assess capacity of solving problems and creativity of
students in Secondary schools.
Table 2. 6. Designing process of toolkit to assess capacity of solving problems and creativity of
students in Secondary schools.
Cont

ture
of
capa
city
of
solvi
ng
probl
ems
and
creat
ivity,
17


inclu
ding
com
pone
nt
capa
city
and
criter
ias.
Desc
ribin
g
criter
ias

capa
city
of
solvi
ng
probl
ems
and
creat
ivity.
Testi
ng
the
toolk
it to
asses
s
capa
city
of
solvi
ng
probl
ems
and
creat
ivity
throu
19


2.6.2. Describing aims and assessing level of capacity of solving problems and creativity.
Table 2. 7. Structure of capacity of solving problems and creativity of students in Secondary
schools.

20


NL thành phần
1. . Recognizing problems
related to chemistry in
complex situations in life.
2. Detecting and clarifying
problems.
3. Forming and
implementing new ideas.

4. Suggesting and choosing
solutions.
5. Implementating and
assessing solving problem
solutions.
6. Independent thinking

Biểu hiện
1. . Detecting and clarifying problems related to chemistry in
complex situations in life, expressing initial notions.
2. Detecting and stating problematic situations in learning and
in life, suggesting experimental questions.
3.Collecting information relating to problem and forming new
ideas.

Secondary schools.
2.6.3.1. Using checklists to observe behaviors
2.6.3.2. Assessing situations

22


Chapter 3: Pedagogical experiments
3.1. Aims and missions of pedagogical experiments .
3.1.1. Aims of pedagogical experiments.
3.1.2. Missions of pedagogical experiments .
3.2. Preparations before pedagogical experiments .
3.2.1. Experiments’ localities.
3.2.2. Experiments’ objects.
3.2.3. Experiments’ teachers.
3.3. Proceeding pedagogical experiments.
3.3.1. Designing experiments.
3.3.2. Experiments’ survey (2016-2017).
3.3.3. Pedagogical experiments round 1 (2017-2018).
3.3.4. Pedagogical experiments round 2 (2018-2019).
3.4. Experiments’ result.
3.4.1. Solving pedagogical experiments’ result.
3.4.2. Pedagogical experiments’ result.
a. Assessment’s results based on observating students checklist after impaction
- Pedagogical experiments round 1’s result (2017-2018):

Figure 3. 3. Graph of the development of the criterias of capacity of solving problems and
creativity for students through the results of the 1st round observating checklist.
- Pedagogical experiments round 2’s result (2018-2019):


8
7.13
1.75

1ĐC8
4.93
2.67

t-test
2.4*10-10
ES
0.8239
Table 3. 12. Summary of characteristic
parameters of 8th grade’s test results
round 1

Figure 3. 8. Cumulative line graph of 9th grade’s test
results round 1

Class
1TN9
Average mark
7.10
S
2.22

1ĐC9
5.03
2.46