Organic Chemistry through Contextualized Curriculum as Viewed by the Selected Students of Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Students experience difficulties with fundamental ideas in chemistry. Chemistry had been regarded as a difficult subject for students by many researchers, teachers, and science educators because of the abstract nature of many chemical concepts, teaching styles applied in class, lack of teaching aids and the difficulty of the language of chemistry. Teachers use authentic materials, activities, interests, issues, and needs from learners' lives to develop classroom instruction. A contextualized curriculum helps students learn language skills by using the authentic contexts in which students must use those skills in the real world.

METHODS

The study primarily concerned on how teachers employ contextualized instructions in teaching organic chemistry in the classroom and its perceived outputs to the students. Quantitative Descriptive research design was utilized using questionnaires distributed to 40 students taking up Organic chemistry subject. Non-random sampling method was used in the selection of the respondents and the statistical treatment applied was percentage and weighted mean in order to interpret the results.

RESULTS

Based on the research findings the types of instruction the teacher used in teaching organic chemistry in the classroom were Socialization: students learn the standards, values, and knowledge of the society by raising questions along with explaining concepts, justifying their reasoning, and seeking information. Project-based learning focuses on the central meaningful task and culminates in realistic products; and Cooperative learning organizes instruction using small learning groups in which students work together to achieve learning goals. The findings revealed that there is contextualized instruction in teaching Alcohols in Organic Chemistry in the classroom setting, and this study also revealed that most of the respondents achieved to a very great extent perceived outputs of contextualized instruction in teaching alcohols in organic chemistry.

DISCUSSIONS

Contextualized learning is a proven concept that incorporates the most recent research in cognitive science. It is also a reaction to essential behaviorist theories that dominate education for many decades. The contextual approach recognizes that learning is a complex and multifaceted process that goes far beyond drill oriented, stimulus and response methodologies.