Abstract:

Usage of argument-based science inquiry (ABSI) and traditional report formats as reporting laboratory applications effect on students’ learning levels of concepts related to reaction rate and equilibrium and usage of modal representations were examined in this study. The study was carried out with 38 students who study at Department of Elementary Science Education and took general chemistry laboratory course in 2013-2014 spring term. During the study, five experiment reports have been written and reported by students about reaction rates (3 experiments) and equilibrium (2 experiments). Students at control group wrote their reports at traditional report format and students at experimental group wrote reports at ABSI report format. Letter writing activity was used as the assessment tool to evaluate students’ learning levels of concepts related to reaction rates and equilibrium and usage of modal representations. The letters were assessed by rubrics. According to results it was determined that there was no significant difference between students’ learning levels of concepts related to reaction rate and equilibrium scores in two groups. It was seen that nearly all students in both groups used textual, mathematical and graphical representations and few students in control group used picture representations. Students’ usage of modal representations in their letters were on low level. On the other hand, it was determined that most of the students used representations which can be considered scientifically correct. Students did mistakes on graphical representations the most

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