Implementation and the Impact of Constructivism-Based Module on Students’ Academic Achievement

Abstract

This study aims to develop a constructivism-based module on rate of reaction and chemical equilibrium topics for the eleven graders and assess its impact on students’ academic achievement. The development of the constructivism-based module adopted the Rowntree and Tessmer models, and the validation assessment by the experts uses Cohen's Kappa interpretation. The constructivism-based module was implemented to 189 eleven graders in Palembang, and was studied in a quasi-experimental manner. A total of 89 experimental group students used the constructivism-based module, while 100 control group students were taught using a conventional approach. Cohen's Kappa approval for matter, pedagogy, and design, on average, equals 0.736, meaning this module is valid in terms of these aspects. Findings from one-on-one testing and small group assessment showed the constructivism-based module is practical to guide students to learn chemical equilibrium and rate of reaction with the average score 4.33 and 4.32, respectively, based on Likert scale. The average gain score of posttest and pretest is equal to 0.73, the effectiveness of the high-qualified module. This study has very significant results and is expected to help students to understand the concept of chemistry more easily, can be used by teachers as a manual for learning process, and to change from teacher-centered to student-centered learning