Chemistry in context : a guide to site visits in secondary education chemistry

Abstract

The Chemistry SEC 06 syllabus 2025, saw the introduction of new coursework modes, one of which is Site Visits. Being a novel approach to assessment in secondary education Chemistry, educators may be unaware of local sites that could meet the exigencies of the curriculum. Also, guides to organise such visits, in Chemistry, are lacking. This project set out to identify some of these sites and to develop a resource pack to help teachers transition to Site Visits as coursework. Education design research methods were used in this study. During the first phase, exploratory visits to six sites were conducted. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and guided tours around each of the sites. Five sites were then chosen to be part of the resource pack. A students’ resource pack supported by a teachers’ guide was developed for each site. The students' resource pack includes Introductory, Preparatory and Site activities inspired by social constructivist ideologies, particularly intersubjective and narrative approaches. The pack was then presented for evaluation to teachers from the state, church and independent schools. Feedback was collected using an online, semi-structured questionnaire. The research findings show that teachers valued site visits as opportunities to enhance learning since they impart objective and social relevance to the theory taught in class and these views were also sufficiently complemented by the activities in the pack. The pack was described as a useful tool to help teachers plan site visits in non-formal, highly contextualised environments. Some proposed revising some activities to be accessible to a wider student cohort. However, most educators agreed that the pack adequately provides for mixed-ability cohorts through a student-centred approach, thereby facilitating the achievement of the learning outcomes by the students. In general, the teachers seemed to entertain attitudes that favour the effective use of contexts in chemistry and were rather unperturbed by most reasons commonly quoted as deterrents to non-formal learning activities. This, and the fact that local sites have been identified to meet the syllabus requirements, makes this coursework mode very much feasible.