Experimentation in the Teaching of Galvanic Cells Using the Jigsaw Method

Abstract

The difficulty usually presented by high school students with the electrochemical theme based the development of experimental kits to aid in the teaching of galvanic cells, cells and batteries, and series and/or parallel associations. Three experimental electrochemistry kits, made from low cost and easy access materials, were used to explore series and parallel associations of commercial cells and galvanic cells, and that served to teach concepts of electrochemistry, through cooperative learning using the jigsaw method. The students were divided into six groups of specialists (GEs); each of these groups contained four or five students. Six experimental kits were distributed, related to three subtopics of electrochemistry: (1) Understanding the operation of commercial cells, (2) Understanding the functioning of galvanic cells, (3) Checking the occurrence of oxidoreducation reactions. Each subtopic was worked by two GEs. After the work, the GEs separated as pieces of a puzzle, and students formed six base groups (GBs), each containing at least one expert from each subtopic. A diagnosis was made of how the students evaluated the proposed didactic activity (in relation to the traditional teaching methodology) and verified if the didactic proposal helped to help students learn from the content worked. The didactic proposal, in addition to motivating, helped students learn, providing good results, which consolidate the performance of experimental activities, associated with the jigsaw method, in the teaching of galvanic cells.