The effect of using particulate matter representation strategy on the visual thinking skills of the fourth grade science student in chemistry

Abstract

The study aims at identifying the effect of using molecular
representation strategy of the substance in visual thinking skills for
the fourth scientific preparatory students in chemistry. The sample
of the study consists of (67) students selected from fourth scientific
preparatory students and they have been distributed to the
experimental groups (34) and a control group (33). The two groups
were equivalent in :( previous information variables , chronological
age in months , the rate of students scores in the previous year in
chemistry , mental capacity, and visual thinking test. To achieve the
aim of the current study, an instructional material has been
prepared according molecular representation strategy, and the test of
visual thinking skills which determined by (shape recognition skills
, shape analysis skill, the skill of linking between relationships, the
skill of ambiguity interpretation in visual form, extracting meanings
skill).
It consisted of (44) items, after accounting the psychometric
characteristics for both tests, the data were statistically accessed
using SPSS as statistical program, the results showed that there are
no statistically significant differences between the students of the
experimental group who are taught according molecular
representation strategy for the substance and the students of the
control group who are taught according the traditional way, visual
thinking skills in favor of the experimental group. Thus, the
researcher recommends in adopting the molecular representation
strategy for the substance in teaching chemistry, and he suggests
further studies for different stages and for different subjects to
check the effect of visual thinking skill.