Research And Practice Of Project-based Learning In High School Chemistry Based On Critical Thinking

Project-based learning is a dynamic learning approach based on real-life problem situations,student-centered,and requiring cooperative group inquiry to help students face and solve real-life problems in a more intuitive and in-depth way.Critical thinking is a higher-order thinking ability that breaks the boundaries of disciplines,it reflects both the humanistic temperament and the level of thinking,and it is an indispensable ability for students in the new era.Therefore,this study attempts to combine the development of critical thinking with project-based learning in chemistry,and develops project-based learning in chemistry based on critical thinking,in the hope of providing a new reference for teaching chemistry in high school.This study not only had clarified the current status of research on critical thinking and project-based learning through literature analysis,but also defined the concepts of critical thinking and project-based learning.The main elements of discovery learning theory,constructivist theory,and pragmatism theory were described,as well as the connection between the three and this study to provide theoretical support for this study.Using a questionnaire to understand the current state of students’ critical thinking,interviews were used to understand teachers’ recognition and acceptance of project-based learning and critical thinking.Combining the elements and characteristics of critical thinking and project-based learning,goal setting,topic selection,content planning,activity recording,results presentation,and evaluation feedback were the elements of project-based learning in chemistry based on critical thinking.With the implementation steps of setting up a project team,identifying the project problem,defining the project task,recording the project process,presenting the project results,and evaluating and summarizing the project,a theoretical model of project-based learning in chemistry based on critical thinking was developed.Under the guidance of the theoretical model,three teaching cases were designed:"The effect of food antioxidants on food safety","The application of redox reaction-designing the instructions for the use of hydrogen peroxide disinfectant","Becoming a water quality inspector-the investigation of the composition of newly made chlorinated water",and the teaching practice was carried out in X Middle School in Yinchuan.This research recorded and evaluated the learning process with the help of classroom observation scale,project-based learning self-checklist,group members’ mutual evaluation form,and project-based learning task record sheet.The post-test questionnaire at the end of the practice showed a significant increase in students’ interest in learning chemistry,and the analysis of the test questions showed a higher average score in the experimental class.Through teacher interviews,recognition and affirmation of this study was obtained from frontline teachers.The research results showed that project-based learning in chemistry based on critical thinking is feasible,it can help students better integrate theoretical knowledge with practice in chemistry,it can improve students’ interest in learning chemistry subjects,it can enhance students’ critical thinking skills and comprehensive literacy.Therefore,project-based learning in chemistry based on critical thinking is of some value for replication.