The Influence of Inquiry activity - electrolysis of aqueous salt solutions - on High-School Students' Motivation and Performance
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to introduce Inquiry-Based Science Education (IBSE) and evaluate its influence on pupils. A specific task focusing on the electrolysis of aqueous salt solutions is presented in this paper.
This activity was realized at 9th grade of elementary school and at 3rd grade of eight-year grammar school in Chemistry as a laboratory session. There were 46 pupils included in this pilot study.
The standardized questionnaire based on Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) tool was used to gain feedback. The results show that pupils evaluated this task as an average or slightly positive activity.
Grammar-school pupils perceived the activity more positively regarding the importance of the task andrealising their own abilities necessary for completing this task than the pupils at elementary school.