Overview

Original Research

CHEMISTRY TO BIODIVERSITY: THE CONUS OUTREACH PROJECT – A SCIENCE OUTREACH APPROACH FOR DYNAMIC SCIENCE LEARNING

SAGUIL, NOEL A. 1, SAGUIL, NOEL STEPHEN F. 2, LIRIO, GARY ANTONIO C. 3, CARIL, ALVIN N. 4, BANTIGUE, PRINCESS CASEY 5, SAGUIL, HORACIO A. 6, and SAGUIL, HANNAH A. 7.

Vol 18, No 07 ( 2023 )   |  DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/HJCTQ   |   Author Affiliation: Chief, CETR- Research Institute for Science and Technology, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Sta Mesa, Manila 1; Medical Technologist- Philippine Womens University, Taft Ave., Manila 2; Chief, CNSRR, Research Institute for Science and Technology, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Sta Mesa, Manila 3; M.S Biology Student, Graduate School; Faculty, Department of Biology, College of Science, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Philippines 4; M.S Biology Student, Graduate School; Laboratory Assistant, Research Institute for Science and Technology, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Philippines 5; Pathologist, Ospital ng Maynila, City of Manila 6; English Supervisor, Philippine Pasay Chung Hua Academy, City of Pasay 7.   |   Licensing: CC 4.0   |   Pg no: 318-337   |   Published on: 11-07-2023

Abstract

The Philippines, like many other countries, emphasizes the importance of science education and the importance of science outreach efforts. These activities are crucial for raising scientific literacy, fostering scientific passion, and developing a skilled workforce in the field of science and technology. In response to the ever-increasing demand for quality instruction in science education, this study presented the University of Utah's "Chemistry to Biodiversity: The Conus Outreach Project," which engages Grade 8 students in exploratory and open-ended instructional modules guided by the principle that the earlier students do hands-on experimental science, the better their learning. The purpose of this study is to describe and assess the degree of implementation of the science outreach project and its impact on the academic performance of grade eight students from PCSHS and PCWHS– DOST during the 2014-2015 school year, a pre-pandemic academic year. Results show, in terms of implementation, the majority of students assessed the learning environment as "very good," the learning materials as "good," and the learning task as "very good." Additionally, in terms of academic performance, grade eight students from both PCSHS and PCWHS–DOST presented average to above average achievement scores. Furthermore, the variables utilized in this study to measure the extent of outreach project implementation correlate significantly with student success in terms of achievement scores. Education officials and program organizers can get insights into the effectiveness of previous efforts by examining the outcomes of this study's science outreach data and implementing it into post pandemic planning. In the country's ever-changing approaches to scientific teaching, this data can be used to identify effective tactics, areas for progress, and specific student requirements. The findings of this study strongly urged the adaptation and incorporation of the science outreach program given in this study in order to boost Filipino students' science literacy and enable them to apply diverse scientific principles to real-world problems.

Keywords

Biodiversity, Chemistry, Conus, Dynamic Learning, Science Education, Science Outreach Project, Scientific Literacy,