The Effectiveness of Teachers' Use of Demonstrations for Enhancing Students' Understanding of and Attitudes to Learning the Oxidation-Reduction Concept

Background:In this study we explored whether the use of teachers' demonstrations significantly improves students’ understanding of redox reactions compared with control group counterparts who were not exposed to the demonstrations.Material and methods:The sample consisted of 131 Israeli 8th graders in middle schools (junior high school). Students' attitudes and achievements as well as their understanding of redox and electrolysis were assessed by administering a questionnaire that investigated their attitudes (perceptions) towards a demonstration in chemistry.Results:The findings showed that the experimental group's achievements and understanding of the subject were statistically significantly better than those of their control group counterparts.Conclusions:The current study provided evidence that, if planned properly, demonstrations can serve as an effective platform for enhancing students’ understanding of certain chemistry concepts as well as increase their motivation and interest to learn chemistry. This study focused on the topics of oxidation-reduction and electrolysis; more key concepts should be researched in order to obtain a more comprehensive picture regarding the implementation of educationally effective demonstrations.