Diagnosis of the Practical Teaching of Chemistry: Basic Cycle of the University Level

Abstract

The present diagnosis of the practical teaching of chemistry, basic cycle at the university level, aims to present an updated view of the problem, provide useful information for future research and promote reflection on teaching practice. The practical teaching of basic chemistry (Qui-014) at the UASD San Francisco de Macoris Campus, Dominican Republic is taught in 4 poorly equipped laboratories, which hinders the achievement of the objectives pursued. For teaching, a practice manual is used, written by prominent professors, based on a program by objectives, recipe type, without taking into account the context or interest of the students, which has been updated 10 years ago. The methodological approach of the research is quantitative. The study sample consisted of 22 students, 10 teachers, of basic chemistry laboratory, corresponding to semester 2022-2. Two 31-item questionnaires were applied, on a Likert-type scale, for the collection of information. Among the most important findings, we can mention that the teaching process promotes low-order learning, does not develop critical thinking in the students, since only a minimum percentage of them propose possible explanations of the chemical phenomena to be studied.