The effect of instructional analogies in interaction with logical thinking ability on achievement and attitude toward chemistry

Abstract

We investigated the effect of instructional analogies in interaction with logical thinking ability on achievement and attitude towards chemistry. The participants were 147 female students from 6 8th grade classes in three public junior high schools selected by using a random multistage sampling method from five education districts in Tabriz, a metropolis northwest of Iran. The classes were randomly assigned to two experimental groups (E1 and E2) and a control group (C), each group consisted of two classes. Group E1 was taught using an analogy model, group E2 received textual elaborated analogy as a supplementary activity, and group C was taught using traditional instruction. The data were collected through a chemistry achievement test, attitude towards chemistry scale, and a logical thinking ability test. The results showed that students with concrete thinking at knowledge level of chemistry achievement test in E2 group had better performance than E1 and C groups and the use of teaching with the analogy model had no significant effect on the students’ chemistry achievement. Also, significant difference was not found between the three study groups in terms of interest and self-confidence as subscales of attitude towards chemistry.