Characteristics of Effective Student-Centred, Context-Based, High School Chemistry: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

High school chemistry educators incorporate context-based chemistry curriculums and student-centred teaching methods in their classroom. Teachers and researchers alike have researched and seen the positive effects these methods have had upon learners. However, not all teachers have the ability to implement an entire context-based curriculum or have the ability to completely change their lessons to make them more student-led. This systematic literature review seeks to determine the characteristics that make student-centred, context-based chemistry effective in a high school chemistry classroom. These characteristics and the following recommendations for practice are able to be used by both teachers that do not use a context-based curriculum or student-centred teaching methods and the teachers that do. Four characteristics emerged from the literature and then four recommendations were made for practice based on those characteristics. The four characteristics were authenticity, awareness, accessibility, and constructivism; the four recommendations for practice were teachers should build on the lessons and activities they already have created, teachers should build on students’ prior knowledge and experiences, teachers should incorporate real world learning and help cultivate soft skills, and teachers should meet their classes and students where their ability and knowledge is.