Abstract:
During five hundred years of western colonization, education systems in Sri Lanka
evolved to mirror the traditional education systems of Britain. The teaching strategies
employed by teachers and the structure of schools in Sri Lanka, reflected such a
traditional, Anglo Saxon approach to pedagogy. In post-colonial Sri Lanka we believe
that it’s time to move towards a different approach to pedagogy that more closely aligns
with modern society in Sri Lanka and with the interconnected world in which we now live.
This paper reports on the outcomes of a study that focuses on teaching in chemistry - in
particular, the topic of chemical equilibrium. It discusses the influence of modern
information and communication technology (ICT), how ICT allows teachers and students
to work in different ways and the implications for teaching chemistry in Sri Lankan
schools.
Two studies were designed and conducted within New South Wales (NSW), Australia as
models that might transfer to Sri Lanka. Study One involved five experienced chemistry
teachers and forty five chemistry students in HSC classes. Study Two involved eight preservice
science teachers and sixty year-eleven chemistry students. The initial trial of the
commercial product SMV: CHEM® by experienced teachers in Study One revealed that
they spent little preparation time on lessons as they were busy with timetables, syllabus
content, and did not feel comfortable with computer-based technology. As a result, they
relied on teacher demonstration to present the software. In Study Two, pre-service
science teachers had the opportunity to unpack the resource elements within
SMV:CHEM® and VisChem® software and consider the design of lessons that would
engage a wider range of teaching strategies, including the use of familiar analogies,
simulations, hands-on observation coupled with computer-based multiple
representations. Pre-service teachers attempted to extend students’ understanding
about chemical equilibrium (obtained from different representations) by applying the
concept to a wide variety of everyday situations involving environmental systems that are
in equilibrium.
