The Effect of Guided-Inquiry Laboratory Experiments on Science Education Students' Chemistry Laboratory Attitudes, Anxiety and Achievement

Abstract

The study aims to search the effect of guided inquiry laboratory experiments on students' attitudes towards chemistry laboratory, chemistry laboratory anxiety and their academic achievement in the laboratory. The study has been carried out with 37 third-year, undergraduate science education students, as a part of their Science Education Laboratory Applications I and II courses. In Science Education Laboratory Applications I course traditional laboratory method has been conducted, in Science Education Laboratory Applications II course guided inquiry laboratory experiments have been conducted. At the beginning of the academic year, Chemistry laboratory Attitude Scale and Chemistry Laboratory Anxiety Scale were administered as pre test and they were administered as post test following to the guided inquiry experiments. The findings have revealed that as a result of the applications, there has been a significant increase in students' attitudes towards chemistry laboratory, and their academic achievement and a decrease in their chemistry laboratory anxiety.