A Fact-finding Research Exercise into the Handling Abilities of Experimental Apparatus by Elementary School Students

초등학생의 실험 기구 조작 능력에 대한 실태 조사

This study aims at helping us improve the methods used to teach elementary school students how to handle experimental apparatus by examining their manual skills and their understanding of the alcohol lamp, spuit and thermometer. To evaluate their ability to handle each experimental apparatus, a practical skills test and knowledge evaluation sheets were developed. The evaluation was carried out with 270 students from 2 classes each in the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th grade of D Elementary School located in Daejeon City. For their handling ability of the alcohol lamp, the results for the practical skills test showed that the students had a very low ability in placing objects in the center of the apparatus for safe use and also in adjusting the height of the trivet to place objects so that they contact the outer flames correctly. For the spuit, the pass rate of the skills test was generally low in regards to how students should grasp a spuit and the timing and method of depressing the rubber part before dipping it into liquid. For the thermometer, on the other hand, the pass rate was relatively high in every respect. The knowledge evaluation results for the use of experimental apparatus showed a very high rate of correct answers for alcohol lamps and thermometers. The test results for spoils also produced a relatively high rate of correct answers, with the exception of the test item regarding the way that students should grasp them.