The effects of online learning about the Brønsted–Lowry theory of acids and bases in the first grade of grammar school during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to examine the effects of the application of online material on the Brønsted-Lowry theory of acids and bases on the active construction of knowledge in first-grade grammar school students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The online material was designed to enable students: a) to learn the teaching material in smaller parts; b) to assess the acquired knowledge after each part of the teaching material; c) to progress through the lesson at their own pace; d) to visualise and interrelate the macroscopic, submicroscopic and symbolic representations of the contents about acids and bases by using a video recording and illustrations; e) to re-examine the accuracy of the given answers. The research sample consisted of 122 first-grade grammar school students, who learnt about the Brønsted–Lowry theory for the first time. The instruments used in this research study were two tests (a pre-test and a post-test), the validity of which was examined by two university professors and two grammar school chemistry teachers. The applied approach enabled the active construction of knowledge in the majority of students, while it provided the teachers with an insight into the progress and outcomes of the process.