The Effect of Computer Simulation on Grade 11 Learners’ Conceptualisation of Stoichiometric Chemistry

This study, titled The Effect of Computer Simulation on Grade 11 Learners’ Conceptualisation of Stoichiometric Chemistry, was carried out at a school in the Frances Baard District of the Northern Cape province of South Africa. Poor conceptualisation of stoichiometric chemistry by learners in Grades 10-12 in South Africa and, hence, their failure to apply the concepts to problem-solving in the same and other topics in chemistry, is a cause for concern. The study was conducted with the theoretical framework of activity theory. A mixed method design that consisted of a pre-test post-test experimental design, a questionnaire and interviews were used for the study. Two Grade 11 physical sciences classes which consisted of a control and experimental group were taught stoichiometric chemistry after the SCAT pre-test. The experimental group obtained an intervention comprising computer simulations during teaching, while the control group was taught using the lecture method. The ANOVA results showed that learners of the control and experimental groups were comparable in terms of prior knowledge of the topic of stoichiometric chemistry. The paired t-test showed that both groups improved their performance in stoichiometric chemistry. However, the ANCOVA results showed that the experimental group had a greater improvement in performance than the control group. The results of the SCAT post-test, observation of lessons, questionnaire and interviews showed that the experimental group conceptualised stoichiometric chemistry better than the control group. The quantitative and qualitative data was triangulated, and it also indicated that the experimental group conceptualised stoichiometric chemistry better than the control group. It is therefore suggested that using computer simulations for the teaching and learning of stoichiometric chemistry is a better method to improve its conceptualisation in the FET phase of schools in South Africa.